


Everyone's Angel

by delirious_fangirl



Category: The Misfits (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Im sorry if you dont like this, Literally so much angst, M/M, Matt's ex-wife is literally satan, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, but there's a lot of wholesome moments, family au, i really just like family au and made it for myself, if y'all like it that gucci, mentions of abuse, tons of mentions of oc's
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:36:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 53,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22594162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delirious_fangirl/pseuds/delirious_fangirl
Summary: Matthew Hampton and his young son, Vivian, haven't been able to catch a break. When they move to Melbourne, Australia, they're starting with a clean slate. Matt has kept his secret hidden away, and refuses to even acknowledge its presence, until his life is threatened.When Matt ends up hospitalized, his secret is outed, and changes the way his life, and everyone else's lives are affected. That's how Matt learns who his real family is, and what the meaning of life really is.*DISCLAIMER*I obviously know none of this fanfiction is true, but hence the genre, it's literally fiction for a reason. Please don't get offended if you don't like the plot or the au, then don't read it. It's taking months to put time and effort into this, and I mostly wrote it for my own personal reasons. If you do like it, hallelujah! At least someone does! Side note, I may or may not have made almost all family characters really mean and evil purely just because it would give the plot line some more spice, so please don't come at me or believe my portrayal of the family members!
Relationships: Cam | GoodGuyFitz/Toby | TobyontheTele
Comments: 10
Kudos: 29





	1. A New Leaf

It was a cold and stormy, winter day when the moving truck pulled up to the property next door. Cameron, Toby, and their two sons had been sitting in their living room playing a board game when the truck rumbled to a stop at the curb. Mason and Jay immediatly snapped up from the floor and ran to the window. They pulled back the curtains and stood on their tiptoes to peer out at the street below them. The movers were transporting furniture and boxes into the house, and the two boys noticed a man and a young child getting out of a car parked behind the moving truck. "Mom! Dad! Look!" The two boys called out to their parents. Cam and Toby moved to stand behind their kids and looked out the window themselves. "The little boy looks to be your age." Toby said as she ruffled Mason's hair. "Well, it only seems fitting that we welcome them." Cam told Toby as he started for the kitchen.

The next day the small family went next door to greet their new neighbors with several casserole dishes and a pan of brownies. Cam rang the doorbell and the four of them heard a crashing noise and a man shout in surprise. The door opened up a minute later, the man that was moving in looked exhausted. There was a thud in the background and the man's attention snapped away to look back into the house. "Put that down Vivian! You're going to hurt yourself!" The small boy did as told and lowered the hammer back down into the toolbox laying open on the floor. The man sighed but then smiled at his guests. "Hi. We're your next door neighbors." Toby said with a wide smile. The man seemed to brighten up and stepped aside to invite them in.

"Sorry about the mess. I haven't had much time to start moving a lot of things yet." "No need to apologize, you just moved in yesterday." The man groaned and he threw his arms behind his head and cracked his back. "Are you okay?" "Yeah, we just had a really long flight to get here. Almost twenty hours from the United States." He explained as he led them to the kitchen. "Can I get y'all anything to drink?" He asked as Vivian scampered over to him with an unreadable look on his face. It didn't faze the adult and he easily hefted the small boy into his arms. The small family politely declined and set down the casseroles and brownies down on the empty counter. They sat down at the table, the small boy in the man's arms shifted to be laying against his chest. Cam figured they should start introductions and he began introducing himself and his family.

"My name is Cameron McKay, but almost everybody calls me Cam. This is my husband Toby, and our two sons, Jay and Mason." Matt shook their hands with a smile, "My name is Matthew Hampton, but I go by Matt, and this is my son Vivian. Our kids look to be the same age." Matt pointed out and Toby nodded. "Mason is three and Jay is four." "Vivian is turning two in two weeks. We actually share the same birthday." "Well that sure is something." Cam said. The adults started making small talk when they noticed Matt was refusing to talk about a few things by dodging questions. "Matt, did something happen to Vivian's other parent?" Matt flinched and shook his head. "I'd rather not talk about it, but I will say this. Vivian's mother was a bad person and leaving was the only option." Matt left it at that and changed the subject.

They decided to eat dinner at Matt's house and ate one of the casseroles, the three kids already best friends. When Matt finished furnishing his house a few weeks later, Cam and Toby noticed he was more relaxed than when they first met him. The adults were now best friends as well as the kids. Which meant that Matt was invited into the circle of people that Toby and Cam were part of for their kids' playgroup. Over the course of a few months, the other parents within the group began to notice some things. They first noticed the new child in the playgroup, who hardly played with the other children unless it was Mason or Jay. The several groups of parents questioned each other until they were told that the child was the son of Cam and Toby's neighbor and best friend.

The second thing the parents noticed was the way Matt either didn't come to the playgroup and Vivian came with Cam and Toby's family, or Matt did show up and stayed quiet most of the time. A third thing they noticed was the way Vivian acted. He contantly flinched when people raised their voices and never talked louder than an indoor voice. Normally the small children would be shrieking and running everywhere. He also seemed to be well disiplined at a very young age and was polite to everyone he came in contact with. The final thing the parents noticed was some of the strange faded scars both Father and Son had, as if they were twinning. After one playgroup during the summer hosted at Cam and Toby's house, all of the parents were leaving except for Matt. Mason, Jay, and Vivian were out in the fenced backyard playing while the adults were talking in the kitchen. The three adults had learned all about each other, but Cam and Toby still didn't know the reason why they had left America. However, the couple respected the fact that Matt didn't want to share. The couple was in for a ride with their best friend, and this was just the beginning.

The three adults were laughing together as they shared stories or news they heard when the screen door slammed opened and the sounds of a crying child reached the ears of the adults. Vivian entered the kitchen, his small frame shaking and a cut on his arm bleeding. "Daddy. Daddy, it hurts!" He cried out as he ran to his dad. Matt crouched down to be eye level with his son and took a look at the cut. "Do you guys have-" "Bathroom medicine chest." Toby answered with a smile. Vivian followed behind his dad to the bathroom and got scooped up to be set down on the counter. Matt was putting some cream onto Vivian's cut when the toddler broke the silence. "Daddy, why we not home?" "We're right next door." Matt said. "No. Our other home. With Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Jenny and Uncle Larry and Mom?" Matt flinched and tried not to let his emotions show.

"Well, we had to leave. Do you remember when we went to the beach for the first time?" Vivian nodded, "Do you remember what I said when you wanted to go out into the ocean?" "You said it bad for me to go in too far." "Exactly, the ocean is dangerous if you get to a certain point. Our old home was like the ocean. It was safe but after a while, it became dangerous. We left our old home to come here, because it's safer." Matt said as he ruffled his son's hair. "Does that make sense?" Vivian nodded and asked, "What about Mom? She go some place safe too?" Matt sighed and pondered for a moment. "Something like that. She's safe where she is, and we're safe here." Vivian nodded, his big brown doe eyes making Matt think back to the past years.

"Do you miss Florida?" he asked, noticing that his son seemed to think for a minute before answering. "Warmer here. And I have friends." Vivian answered, picking at the Band-Aid Matt had placed on his arm. Matt carefully took his fingers away from the Band-Aid and smiled. "You like being here more?" Vivian nodded and imitated his father's wide smile. "C'mon. Let's get you back to your friends." Matt said as Vivian extended his hands out. Matt picked him up and balanced him on his hip before leaving the bathroom. He set Vivian down in the kitchen and the toddler quickly ran back outside to be with his friends. Matt smiled and turned back to his friends. Cam and Toby both gave him a look and Matt's goofy grin didn't fade. "What? Do I have toothpaste on my shirt again?" They laughed and Toby shook her head. "Your family is cute." Matt's face turned red and his gaze fell to the floor. "I'm the only family he has." He mumbled and the couple shared a silent look.

A couple of weeks after that, it was around midnight in Melbourne when a phone rang in the McKay household. Cam was the first one awake to answer it when he was met with bad news. Toby's father was in the hospital from a heart attack and he was in critical condition. Cam immediatly woke Toby to tell her what happened, and it sent her into a panic. It took Cam about a half hour to calm her down to start talking plans. "We have to get packed and get airline tickets and what about Mason and Jay?" "We can't take them with us. We just can't. It'll be too hard on them if he does-" Toby couldn't even finish without choking up. "Who's going to be able to watch them for at least a week though?" Toby asked and Matt was the first one that Cam thought about. "What about Matt? You know he loves Jay and Mason like they're his own children." Toby nodded and said she'd take care of the airline tickets and the packing while Cam took care of their kids.

Cam quickly tugged on some shoes and slipped outside onto the lawn of the silent house next door. He didn't want to ring the doorbell and risk waking both of the house occupants and instead entered in the backdoor with the key Matt had given him. Cam walked down the hallway and softly knocked on the door to Matt's room. He heard his best friend wake up and sit up in the bed before quietly telling him to come in. "Good morning Cam." Matt whispered as he rubbed his eyes. "Sorry to bother you at this ungodly hour but Toby's father had a heart attack and we're flying to New Zealand in a few hours, but we need someone to watch Mason and Jay for at least a week." "I'm more than happy to do it." Matt answered without hesitation, and Cam saw the blankets next to Matt wriggling around. Matt pushed back the blanket slightly and tangled his hand in Vivian's hair. "Shh, go back to sleep Viv." The toddler sleepily rolled back over and returned to slumber again.

"If you'd like, Viv and I could just stay in your house to keep their things there." Cam nodded and he thanked Matt. "Of course. What are best friends for?" Cam smiled and Matt stepped on the floor and slipped on his shoes. "I can take Vivian over if you need to get some things and lock up the house." Cam offered. Matt nodded and said he'd be over in ten minutes. Cam gently scooped up the lump that was a sleeping Vivian and carried him next door. Cam set the toddler down on the couch, only for him to wake up. "Uncle Cam?" Vivian asked rubbing his eyes as he sat up. "Hey buddy. You can go back to sleep." "Where's Daddy?" Vivian asked as he looked around. "He's coming over in a few minutes. Aunt Toby and I have to leave to go see Toby's dad in the hospital. You and Matt get to stay here with Mason and Jay for some time." "Really?" Vivian asked. Cam smiled and nodded.

"You want to come say hi to Aunt Toby? She needs some cheering up." Vivian grinned and he nodded. He jumped off the couch and scampered down the hallway following Cam. "Tobes, someone's here to see you." Cam said with a grin as he came into the bedroom. Toby looked confused before she noticed Vivian attempting to climb up onto the bed. Cam lifted Vivian onto the bed and he toddled over to Toby. Vivian wrapped his tiny arms around Toby's neck in a hug as best as he could. "Don't worry. Be happy." Toby smiled and hugged the toddler back. "What are you doing awake? Shouldn't you be asleep?" Toby asked as Vivian sat down on the bed next to the adult. The toddler just shrugged and looked up at Cam. 

"Uncle Cam said Daddy and I stay here while you go see your dad in the hospal." Toby ruffled Vivian's dark hair and smiled at him. "You just keep being happy Vivy." Vivian beamed with pride and he watched the two adults finish putting things into their suitcases. The door to the house opened and then closed and Matt's voice softly broke the silence. "In here Matt." Cam said quietly. Matt footsteps padded down the hallway and he entered the bedroom to find his son awake on the queen bed. "You should be asleep Viv." The child in question just giggled and quickly buried himself underneath the heavy blankets. Toby finished writing out their kids' schedule and handed it to Matt. "That should be everything. If you have any questions, just text us." Matt nodded and he watched as both of his best friends began moving their suitcases out into the hallway.

Matt followed and let them get as far as the threshold before stopping them. "Aren't you going to go say goodbye to Jay and Mason?" His best friends stopped and stared at him in confusion. "They're sleeping, and it would freak them out to know their grandpa was in the hospital." "I'm sure they'll overlook it to say goodbye. Put yourselves in their shoes. If your parents were leaving in the middle of the night and didn't say goodbye, you wouldn't be very happy." Cam and Toby realized Matt was right and went back to say goodbye to their sons. As soon as they briefly explained what was going on, the two boys both fell back asleep. As the two adults returned to the living room, Vivian said goodbye to them too.

The adults hugged Vivian back and ruffled his hair before they left for the airport. "Okay mister, to bed." Vivian giggled and eagerly ran back to the bedroom they were staying in. Matt lifted him onto the bed and they went back to sleep. The next morning when Jay and Mason woke up, they found Matt in the kitchen making breakfast with Vivian sitting at the kitchen island in one of the spinning chairs. "Good morning sleepyheads!" Matt said with a cheerful smile. The two kids joined Vivian at the kitchen island, making this the start of the many grand gestures Matt would make for the family. 


	2. A Bump in the Road

Cam and Toby knew everything about Matt, and Matt knew everything about Cam and Toby. Which meant that Cam and Toby easily picked up on Matt's work schedule. Most days Matt would work the entire day, come pick Vivian up from Cam and Toby's, and just fall asleep as soon as he hit his mattress. Matt's best friends knew this and they tried to help him out in any way they could. They could both clearly tell that Matt was either getting overworked or overworking himself. Even though it wasn't confirmed, Matt was struggling to keep himself afloat even with two jobs. YouTube wasn't doing too great with monetization currently, so Matt picked up a third job and almost worked every minute except for his off days. Matt's stress became more evident around the holiday season. It was just a little after Thanksgiving when Matt finally opened up to his best friends about what was bothering him. "I don't think I can do it this year."

"Do what?" Toby asked as she set another plate into the cabinet. "Christmas. I've been working so hard to keep us afloat but I don't think I'll be able to do anything for Christmas." "Is this what's been weighing you down lately?" Cam asked as he set a hand on Matt's shoulder. The American nodded and he deeply sighed, causing his friends to notice how thin he had gotten. "This is going to be Viv's first Christmas without any family except for me. My family is all gone, and his mom's side practically disowned me as soon as Viv was born. Do you know how bad this is going to be for him? I just want to be a good dad." Matt said, his bottom lip trembling. He started shaking, and soon tears were running down his face.

His friends were shocked, but Toby quickly wrapped her arms around Matt to comfort him. "You're already such a good father to Vivian. He loves you more than anything in this world, it's easy to tell. If anything else bothers you, please just tell us. Don't work yourself up if you can just talk to us. We'll always be here for you." Matt nodded and thanked his friends. When it was closer to Christmas, they could tell both Matt and Vivian were more sad than usual. "What if we invite Matt and Viv over for the holidays this year?" "You mean, when both of our families are here?" Toby asked and Cam nodded. "Matt doesn't have any family, and I think he'll feel like he's part of a family if he sees how much we really care about him and Vivian." "I think that's a wonderful idea. I have another idea that might be a little far fetched, but it could make both of them happy." "Oh yeah? What's that?" Cam asked.

"Matt said he couldn't do anything for Christmas this year, so what if we give them some holiday joy? We could give them some presents to feel loved again." Cam thought about it before grinning. "You know, that's actually a really good idea. Since Matt and Vivian don't have anyone, we'll be their family." So when it came time for the McKay's to annually hold their family Christmas, Matt accepted the invite and both he and Vivian came to the party. They were both there hours before anyone arrived to help Toby decorate and make food before Cam came home with both sets of family. When it got closer to noon, Matt brought Vivian aside and set him down on the bathroom counter. As Matt started bandaging up another cut Vivian had gotten wrestling with Jay, he made sure to remind his son of a few things.

"Remember Viv, Uncle Cam and Aunt Toby have been very kind to invite us to spend Christmas with their families. So keep being the kind and grateful kid you are, and maybe in the future we'll be able to return the kindness they've shown us." Vivian nodded and he started picking at the band-aid. Matt grinned and pulled his son's tiny hand away from it. "You're such a little devil when it comes to getting cuts, but I'm sorry." Vivian stared up at his dad in confusion. "Sorry?" The toddler asked as he cocked his head to one side. "I'm sorry that Christmas didn't turn out the way I planned. I was hoping and dreaming that we'd be able to relax in a new place and not worry about having enough money. I'm sorry we couldn't do anything special for Christmas." Matt said softly as he ruffled Vivian's hair. "It's okay Dad." Vivian said. Matt shook his head with a sad smile.

"It's okay to be truthful about this Viv. Let's just go out there and have fun, alright?" Matt said softly. Vivian nodded and he hugged his dad. "I promise it'll get better." Matt whispered into Vivian's hair as he hugged the toddler. "Alright, now let's go have fun, and remember to thank your Aunt and Uncle before we leave tonight." Vivian nodded and extended his arms out. Matt picked his son up and held a sigh back. He knew that neither of them were very healthy right now, but Matt couldn't do anything about it. It was a struggle just to put food on the table. Vivian was almost a year younger than Mason and was no where near his size. Vivian was so tiny compared to his friends and Matt was trying to work extra hours just to feed the both of them. Matt heavily wished that he still had his own family to help him out, but he knew it would never happen. His own family had all either passed or been abducted. 

Matt's two siblings had been missing for almost ten years and his parents had died because of some convicts that had broken into his family's home when Matt wasn't there. He had come back to his family home a few days after the incident occurred, to find his parents dead and his siblings gone. The police and investigators still hadn't closed the case, and Matt had been living with that for eight years. He didn't have any extended family, so his only family was Vivian. He didn't count his ex-wife's family as his own, as they didn't respect him as a parent or as a person. His ex-wife's family had loved Vivian in a toxic way, and for some reason they hated Matt for "interfering" with their "parenting". So as Matt struggled, he didn't have any family to turn to. Matt refused to go down without a fight and he was doing as best as he could at the moment. 

Matt walked out to the living room and sank down on the couch next to Toby. Jay was on the living room carpet and he sat up on his knees and spread his arms out. "Come on and play Vivy!" Vivian grinned and slipped off of Matt's lap to run at Jay. He knocked into the five year old and the two crashed onto the floor in a fit of giggles. The two boys began wrestling while Mason entered the room and walked over to the adults. He climbed onto the couch and plopped himself down on Matt's lap. "Uncle Maaaaaattttttttt." Mason whined out, dragging on Matt's name. "Yes Mason?" Matt asked. "When the next movie night?" The four year old began fiddling with his teddy bear as he spoke. 

"Next weekend. We've got to get through Christmas first." "Sooner?" Mason pleaded with him. Matt smiled and ruffled Mason's hair. "If it's okay with your Mom and Dad, we can do one this weekend. How does that sound Squirt?" Mason perked up and he eagerly nodded. "Mom?" Mason asked as he looked at Toby. Toby smiled and looked down at her son. "Of course. It's a tradition to do movie night every week." "Yes!" Mason cheered. Jay and Vivian were still wrestling by the time Cam came home with both sets of families. Both Toby's family and Cam's family were staying for a week and a half in Australia, and some were excited while some weren't. Vivian had been upset because he thought he wasn't allowed to come over and play anymore, until Cam and Toby told him both he and his dad were allowed to come over whenever they wanted. Vivian had perked up after that, and pretty soon he had forgotten anything had been said in the first place.

When the front door opened, Toby had shot off the couch to eagerly greet the families and help Cam maneuver their luggage into the house. The three kids and Matt stayed in place and weren't noticed until almost a half hour after the guests had arrived. "Jay! Mason! Quit that wrestling you two!" Toby's mother, Jenny, called out to the two boys wrestling on the floor. Mason looked up at Matt with a confused expression. "She's confused Mace. She doesn't know who Viv is. She just thinks it's you and Jay." Matt explained to the child. Mason nodded and the two boys wrestling on the floor stopped and sat up on the carpet. "You aren't Mason." Jenny gasped. Vivian was instantly filled with panic and he quickly made his way onto his dad's lap that he was now sharing with Mason. "Who are you?" Jenny asked as she noticed Matt. Matt gave her a smile and Toby placed her hand on Jenny's shoulder. 

"Matt, meet my mom, Jenny. Mom, meet Matt." "Uncle Matt!" Mason cheered as he threw an arm around Vivian. "Yes, Uncle Matt." "Since when do the boys have another uncle?" Jenny asked. "Matt isn't their uncle through relations." Toby explained. "Matt is our next door neighbor and my best friend as well as Cam's. Vivian, his son, is Mason and Jay's best friend." Pretty soon everyone was introduced to Matt, but they didn't know why he was there at their family party instead of his own. However, both families tried to remain kind to him once they noticed how much he meant to Cam and Toby. The two were always around him as well as their sons, Vivian never straying too far from his dad. To their families, Matt seemed like a beacon of happiness. He was radiating laughter and joy, and they all picked up on it. Matt smiled and made people laugh like there wasn't a care in the world. 

Several hours into the party, Mason and Jay had refused to leave Matt's side, even to talk or play with their own family. Vivian was doing the same to Cam, as the three year old had deemed the giant his favorite person after his dad. While Matt held a movie night for Mason and Jay to come over, Toby and Cam had a similar night for Vivian to come over. They did anything from crafts to reading stories or playing games. Most times the two families traded kids for these night to give their kids some time away from their parents while having fun. Because of this, the kids had developed a sense of trust in the other adult or adults. 

The kids loved these nights and sometimes they would have them on weekdays as well as the weekend. Every so often when Vivian was over with the other adults, they would read a book to him. Vivian's personal favorite was Jack and the Beanstalk, as he claimed the giant was actually Cam and was actually very friendly to Jack. Ever since he had been read that story, he loved to sit on Cam's shoulders and look down at everyone. Vivian also learned who the Jolly Green Giant was, and whenever he had green beans at the McKay house, he would thank Cam and call him the Jolly Blonde Giant. 

As the party progressed on into the night, everyone began sitting down for dinner. The three kids had a table all to themselves, the three parents constantly checking in on them. Surprisingly the three kids were behaving quite nicely and not making a mess of their food. Once dinner was over and all the dishes were cleaned, everyone was called into the living room to open some presents. Matt was about to suggest that they leave, but Cam was quick to stop them. "No. Come with me downstairs." Cam said as Vivian climbed onto his shoulders. Matt had no choice but to follow his best friend down into his basement where Toby was waiting by a smaller Christmas tree. "Have a seat Matt." Toby said as she sat on the floor next to the tree. Matt did as told and sat down on the carpet next to Toby. Cam sat down across from them and lifted Vivian off his shoulders to sit on his lap instead. "We have something for you." Cam said with a wide smile as Toby pushed a few wrapped boxes in front of the American. 

Matt's mouth dropped open in shock and he didn't react at first. "Go on. Open them." Toby said, her smile just as big as Cam's. Matt unwrapped the boxes and he shook his head. "I can't accept this. I really appreciate the thought, but I can't take them." "Matt, we're family now. We've been family since you moved in next door. You've helped us and you still help us out more than you think. Matt, we care about you." "But I can't give you anything back." "You don't need to. You already give it to us everyday." "What's that?" "You make us smile and laugh everyday. That's the best gift a best friend could receive." Matt smiled and he leafed through the boxes again. Matt had gotten four pairs of shoes, some hoodies that were really warm, some lenses for his camera that served as a job/hobby of his, two thick polar fleece blankets, and several gift cards to different grocery stores in the area. "I...I don't know what to say." Matt said in disbelief. 

"Don't say anything then. We're your family now." Matt's warm and shy smile was enough of a thank you to the couple. "Okay Vivy. We have something for you too." Toby said as more wrapped presents were pushed in front of the toddler. Vivian's mouth dropped open wider than his dad's had, and the three adults grinned. "Go ahead." "For me?" Vivian asked in disbelief. "Yes, all for you Squirt." Cam said, tickling the toddler's sides. Vivian burst into giggles and hesitantly grabbed the closest box to him. He unwrapped it and he squealed with delight. The two things he was obsessed with were Space and Monkeys. So naturally Cam and Toby made sure to get him something he'd love. Vivian ended up getting several space themed shirts and hoodies, a polar fleece galaxy blanket, several monkey shirts, monkey pajamas, a stuffed monkey, and one of the copies of Jack and the Beanstalk Cam and Toby owned. Vivian hugged his Aunt and Uncle extra tight and collapsed back on Cam's lap while squeezing his monkey in a hug. 

Matt took a picture of them, and he grinned. "You guys didn't have to do this." "Of course we didn't, but we did. Matt, we wanted to give you both a memorable Christmas. Since you don't have any family to spend time with or love, we'll be that family. And family has to stick together." Matt gave his best friends a sad smile, and hugged both of them. "Thank you. For everything." "Of course." A few minutes later, Matt stood up, his arms full. "I'm going to run everything next door, and I'll be right back. Viv, are you going to stay here with your aunt and uncle?" The toddler nodded, some of the light returning to his doe eyes. "Okay, be good." Matt said as he ruffled Vivian's brown hair. "I will!" He said as he continued playing with his monkey. Once Matt left with everything the two adults moved onto the couches nearby. "I'll never forget that look on his face." Toby said. "It was like he was never treated like this before. Like no one was ever kind to him."

"Maybe people haven't. It isn't our business to pry anyway. If Matt wants to tell us what happened back in Florida, is for him to decide." Toby nodded and they decided they'd head back upstairs to join the rest of the party. Instead of their family waiting with smiles, they were met with glares. "What's going on?" Toby asked as she stepped into the living room. "We want to know why you favor some other kid over your own." "What? How could you even think something like that?" She said with a hurt tone. Cam walked into the room a moment later, the toddler balanced atop his shoulders again. "Cameron McKay, you should be ashamed of yourself." 

"Why? What did I do?" He asked, turning to his family. "You invited your best friend to spend Christmas with you while your family was here, and then you favor his child over your own. You were downstairs with them giving them gifts instead of your own children or family!" Cam rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Don't try to start anything without having the facts to back it up." "Do you even know where your own kids are?" "In their playroom. I literally just checked up on them. What's your problem with Matt? He's family to us." "That's just the problem. He isn't family! He shouldn't have been invited to spend Christmas with us if he isn't family!" "Yeah, does he not have his own family to bother?" "He should just take his kid and go back to where he came from and leave our families alone." Cam, who had been turned away from the conversation, suddenly turned on his heel with a murderous glare. The families noticed his change and the way Cam was so stiff. 

"First of all, I will not have you insult Matt like that. You don't know him and you certainly don't know what he's been through. Second of all, this is my house. I will invite whoever I want into it. And if you have a problem with Matt, I don't really care. Matt is not only our best friend and almost brother, Jay and Mason love him just as much as we do. Vivian is practically one of our own kids, and I will not have anyone insulting either one of them under my roof." "But why couldn't he just have his own family Christmas! He didn't have to interrupt ours! He's just a freeloader." As soon as the words were said, they were immediately regretted, because Cam just became more provoked. 

"Listen here you bunch of insulting know it all's. Matt doesn't have any family except for Vivian. They're all alone, but we're their family now. Not only that, but Matt is more family to Jay and Mason than any of you are!" The family gasped and Cam looked satisfied. "I meant every word I said. Matt doesn't have to do anything for those boys, but he loves them like they're his own kids! Mason and Jay look up to him, and he's taught them so much over the time that he's been here. He's more like family than any of you, because he cares so much about them! He makes sure to always ask them about their day and he listens to them. He drops everything he's doing to come and help them or us out, and I won't have you insulting them!" It was at that moment that Matt entered through the front door and the families immediately started attacking him. Toby and Cam tried to stop them, but all the adults in the room noticed two things that happened from that. Matt had flinched so violently and Vivian's eyes were filled with fear. 

The toddler started shaking so feverishly that Cam thought he having a seizure. Cam lifted the toddler off his shoulders to witness the the toddler's cries and whimpers of fear. Cam managed to cease his family's action and Matt cleared his throat and began to softly speak. "Maybe I should just take Vivian and go home. I don't think-" "Nonsense. You two haven't done anything wrong." Toby insisted. "No, you guys don't understand. I should probably take Vivian home." Matt was silently pleading with them, because he knew what was going to happen if they stayed around much longer. Vivian was starting to panic more, his eyes wide as the frantically darted around the room. "I didn't do it!" He started crying out, his shaking getting worse. "Please. Please just let this misery end." Matt pleaded, his voice breaking. 

Matt didn't wait for an answer, as he scooped his son from Cam's arms and cradled him to his chest. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for ruining your Christmas." Matt forced out, his heart getting caught in his throat. He forced back the tears and he was gone from the house in the blink of an eye. When Matt got back into his house, tears were freely running down his face. "Why can't I do anything right?" He asked himself over and over again as he began comforting his son to calm him down. Hours later, Vivian was asleep and tucked into Matt's bed while he was working out the battles inside his head. Matt wasn't sure how much longer he could last like this, but he knew he couldn't do anything about it.


	3. Blue Butterflies

When the party was finally over and everyone was going to sleep, Cam found Vivian's monkey discarded on the floor. Cam decided to keep it and give it back when some time had passed with the blowup at the party. He was angry with the families and he hardly talked to them with how upset he was. Cam imagined that Matt probably felt worse, especially after the way he apologized for ruining their Christmas. The next morning Toby called Matt, only to hear how bad her best friend was feeling. "Should we leave you alone, or would you like some company?"

Matt was silent for a moment before he sighed. "I think it's best if we stay away from your families for a few days. You can tell Jay and Mason that the movie weekend will stay the same. Things should've hopefully died down by then." "Okay, as long as you're sure. If anything changes just let us know. And you didn't ruin our Christmas. Our families are just salty because they never come down to see us. Is Vivian alright? It looked like he had a pretty bad scare." Matt stayed quiet for longer this time. "I think he'll be fine. It's only because of the way that his mot-" Matt snapped his mouth shut as he realized what he was about to say. "He'll be fine in a few days. The weekend plans will still be fine." "Okay. See you soon." "Ditto."

When the weekend came, Matt's predictions were correct and things had seemed to die down. So after lunch, the kids were traded off and the fun was about to begin. "Hey Tobes, where's Cam?" "He should be back from Matt's by now, so I'm guessing he's either in the sun room or the backyard." Cam's parents were looking for him because they wanted to talk to him about what had happened once again. They pushed open the door to the sunroom and looked around for their son. It was one of the warmest days of the winter so far, the temperature reaching sixty degrees, which allowed Vivian to sit on one of the window seats with the screenless window wide open. The toddler had caught a butterfly, and he was being very cautious so it wouldn't fly away.

As Vivian was mesmerized by the butterfly resting on his small finger, he didn't realize the adults standing in the room with him. Cam's parents finally noticed that Vivian was in the room and they yelled at him to let go of the butterfly and close the window, as it was the middle of winter. The toddler was so startled that he jumped and fell off the window seat and onto the floor. The butterfly flew out the opened window and Vivian shook his head as he sat up. He looked around for the butterfly and he wanted to cry when he found it had gone. As Vivian sat up, he realized he scratches on his arms that had began to bleed from falling off the window seat. His smile fell because he knew if he went home with more cuts and bruises his dad wouldn't be happy. 

Vivian could practically hear his dad's voice in his head scolding him for being too careless and cutting himself again. He never meant to make his dad upset, but it was mostly by accident that he got all cut up while playing. Vivian was close to tears when Cam walked back into the sunroom. "Vivian, look what I have." He said as he presented the monkey. The toddler snapped his attention towards the adult with a guilty look on his face. "Hey, what's up Squirt?" Cam asked him softly as he knelt down. "D-Daddy g-going to be m-mad at m-me." "Now, why would Matt be upset with you?" Vivian showed Cam his arms with the bleeding cuts and Cam shook his head. "He isn't going to be upset with you. Why would you think your dad would be upset with you for getting hurt?" "He s-says I get h-hurt too much." "Your dad isn't going to be upset with you for an accident. What did you do to get hurt?" Vivian was about to answer when a voice cut in. 

"The brat had the window wide open and he was about to kill the butterfly he had." Cam turned to see his parents standing there and he gave them a disapproving look. "Vivian is not a brat, and the window was open because I opened it, not him. And I know for sure that Vivian wouldn't hurt a butterfly, because he loves them. But then again, apparently you and everyone else in this house besides Toby knows this wonderful kid and his dad more than we do." Cam said with a glare. "Keep in mind young man-" "Don't young man me, Dad. This is my house, and you aren't in control here." Cam stood up and hefted the toddler into his arms. 

As Cam was cleaning Vivian's cuts to bandage them, his parents followed him. "Where are your own kids?" "At Matt's. In fact, all three kids should be there because of how disrespectful my family is." "And why are they at that freeloader's house?" Vivian jerked his head to glare at them. "My dad isn't a fweeloader!" He protested. "If you two don't stop bad mouthing my best friend, I'm going to have to ask you to leave sooner." His parents gasped and Cam just shrugged and turned back to the toddler. "Well, why are they over there anyway?" 

"Because every weekend and occasionally weekdays we switch kids and have a sort of fun night away from the parents. Matt typically watches movies and makes his homemade popcorn with Jay and Mason, and Toby and I try to do a different thing every week. It's just a night that's supposed to let everybody have fun." Cam put a couple of band-aids on the cuts and set the toddler on the floor. "Go sit down in the living room, I'll be right back." Vivian nodded and scampered down the hall towards the living room.

"Listen, I hate that I have to even say this, but please be kind to Matt and Vivian. I know they aren't family, but Toby and I are doing the right thing by returning the kindness they've given us. If you don't want accept it, then just don't hang around them. Especially Vivian. He's a sensitive kid with a big heart." Cam didn't wait for a response and walked into his living room and sat down on the couch. Toby was already sitting on the couch with Vivian and a book. Their families continued to cause trouble, making the couple end up with splitting headaches. 

When the families were getting ready to leave for the airport, Matt had previously left for work which left Vivian with the McKay's. Vivian was innocently playing with Jay and Mason on the floor of the living room when his friends had to go say goodbye to their relatives. Once Mason and Jay had said their goodbyes, Cam called them into the kitchen for breakfast. Vivian was content to continue playing on the floor, until the families started to taunt him. They fed nonsense about Matt to him and called him names, which eventually made him cry. Even though the toddler was crying, they continued their antics until Toby came into the room to see what all the commotion was about. She saw what was happening, and immediately put it to an end. "What is wrong with you guys? You just made a little kid cry!" Toby exclaimed as she walked further into the room. 

Toby stopped close to Vivian and her face turned soft. "C'mere baby." Vivian was swept up into a comforting embrace as Toby worked on soothing him. "You should be ashamed of yourselves. You don't make little kids cry on purpose, regardless of your opinions on them or their parents." Toby shook her head and began to wandered out of the room. "Honestly, they're acting more like children than the actual children." Cam said and Toby nodded. "Are you okay bubba?" Toby softly asked the toddler and Vivian weakly nodded. "I never thought we'd end up with this much controversy over something so insignificant." Little did the couple know, this Christmas would have nothing compared to what was coming.


	4. Sleepyhead

It was Christmas time in Melbourne, Australia once again. As traditions worked, both sides of the McKay house were invited to stay with them again, except the family was staying for a month this time. Matt was the first one to be invited, but he gratefully declined. "It's for the best that I don't go. I don't want to ruin your Christmas twice in a row." No matter how much pleading they did, Matt wouldn't change his mind. As much as Matt wanted to go, he knew he couldn't, for two main reasons. The first one being the family would be very upset and attack them again. The second reason was to cover up his unhappiness. 

Matt was still in the same financial situation as last year, and he had picked up another job that he could do from home. So while he was busy working most of the time during the day, his nights would be filled with work as well. Cam and Toby hadn't noticed this, and Matt intended to keep it that way. He couldn't continue placing a burden on them, so he struggled in silence. Since he worked so much, he was exhausted and hardly found time to sleep. Both he and Vivian were still getting thinner from the lack of food they got, and Matt knew it was physically taking a toll on his son. The toddler had hardly grown, and he knew it was from not having good nutrition. Matt was dead weight on his feet, the bags underneath his eyes as dark as night. At this point, Matt didn't know what he was living for anymore. 

All the negative things started eating at him, until it finally pushed him over the edge. Matt's co-workers and even his boss had begun to notice how exhausted he was. They didn't talk to him about it until after he passed out while working. "Matt, you've got to start sleeping more." His boss said with concern. "I can't. I have another job that requires most of the night. I can only get a few hours each night." "Matt, you're going to be sick if you don't get enough sleep." "I just can't." Matt said, and in that moment he just wanted to give up. He was so tired, and he felt emotionally hollow. It was hard to even get up in the morning and see his son's smiling face. 

When it got closer to Christmas, Matt watched from his windows as the families entered the McKay house, and begin to celebrate with each other. Matt inhaled sharply, and it hurt his heart even more that he didn't have a family to celebrate with. A few days into the Christmas season, Matt and Vivian had been invited over for dinner while the rest of the family was occupied in the basement. Some of the family protested this and stayed upstairs while Cam, Toby, Jay, and Mason had their two guests over. At one point during dinner, Matt had begun to nod off and he would've fallen asleep if his head hadn't hit the table. When his head dropped with a thud, he immediately snapped up in his chair. His vision cleared enough for Matt to see his two best friends staring at him with concern written on their faces. 

"Matt, are you okay mate?" Toby asked. "What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just a little tired." "Are you sure? You don't look fine." "I'm fine. I'm just tired." Matt said again. He yawned and blinked his eyes rapidly to keep them open. "Maybe you should go lie down. You look like you're going to pass out at any second." Matt flinched at the reminder but shook his head. "I'll be fine. I'll just go into the bathroom and splash some water on my face. That'll wake me up." Vivian watched his dad get up from the table and waited until he had disappeared into the hallway before turning to his Aunt and Uncle. "You gotta help him!" He pleaded as he ran over to the adults. 

"What are you talking about Vivy?" Toby asked. "Daddy not fine." Vivian said, his big brown eyes soft and full of water. "How is he not fine?" "He never go to sleep. He work all day and all night. He pass out at work." Cam and Toby were in disbelief when they heard this. Even if he was three, Vivian was a kid who was going through a lot, and they knew not to underestimate him. "He passed out at work?" Cam asked and Vivian nodded. "He say he fine, but he scaring me." "How is this scaring you?" Toby asked gently. "He don't get help like he told him to." "He?" "Daddy's boss. He tell Daddy to stop working so much, but he don't listen! You gotta help him!" The three year old pleaded. Matt came back from the bathroom and his best friends stared at him. "What? Do I have water on my shirt?" Matt asked as he glanced down. "That's not it. When was the last time you slept?" Cam asked and Matt shook his head. 

"Vivian's feeding you a load of garbage. I've been sleeping fine. I just had a late night with work is all." "Did you pass out at work?" Toby asked and Matt shook his head. "Vivian doesn't know what he's talking about. He overheard the conversation with my boss about my manager passing out on the job. The conversation wasn't even about me." His best friends seemed skeptical about his explanation and Matt sighed. "I think it's time we get home. I don't want to keep you from your family any longer than we have to." Matt said, starting to get defensive. Cam and Toby let him leave, but Vivian looked terrified. He was sitting at the table hugging his stuffed monkey to his chest and shaking. "C'mon Viv. We have to go home." Matt said, the toddler reluctantly following him. Vivian was afraid of getting in trouble, but he never was punished for telling Cam and Toby anything.

It wasn't until a few days later when Vivian really started to panic. Neither Cam or Toby had come over to check up on Matt, and it ticked the toddler off. It was around noon on a warm afternoon when Matt had come home from work. Vivian was surprised to have been picked up from Cam and Toby's so early, as his father never came home at noon. Matt lied to his son about why he was home so early, and never told him that he had passed out at work again, and longer than last time. The father and son had sat down in the living room to watch some TV, and Vivian watched as his dad stood up and cracked his back. "I'll be right back." Vivian watched as his dad walk down the hallway and walk into the bathroom. When twenty minutes had passed and Matt still wasn't out of the bathroom yet, Vivian started to get worried. 

"Daddy?" Vivian called out as he stood up on the couch. "I'll be right there Viv." Matt said as he stumbled out of the bathroom. Vivian noticed how much Matt was swaying and he watched as his dad's eyes suddenly rolled up into his head and he collapsed on the floor. The toddler's eyes widened and he peered over the couch. He waited for a minute, and his dad still didn't get up. Vivian jumped off the couch, his monkey clutched in one little hand as he ran down the hall towards his dad. In his dad's hand was an empty bottle of pills, but Vivian couldn't identify what it was. "Daddy! Daddy, wake up!" Vivian said as he shook his dad. When Matt didn't wake up, Vivian starting panicking. He didn't know what to do, and he didn't know how to work his dad's phone to call for help, so he ran out of the house as fast as he could. 

Vivian crossed the yard and opened up the backdoor of the McKay house. He ran inside and started hunting for his uncle. He couldn't find him so he started yelling for help. Everyone in the house dropped what they were doing and came into the living room to see the screaming toddler. Cam was the last person in the room and Vivian cried out in relief. "Uncle Cam! You gotta come help!" Vivian cried out as he ran to the adult. "Why? What's going on?" "Daddy won't wake up, and he needs help!" The toddler cried out harder. He just needed someone to help his dad and he couldn't figure out what had happened. "What?" Cam asked, his blue eyes blown wide in shock. "He fell on the floor and he won't wake up!" When Cam still seemed confused, Vivian just grabbed onto his hand and started dragging him out of the house. 

Vivian dragged his uncle next door and into his house. "Vivian, slow down. What's going on?" Vivian didn't answer and instead led Cam right to his dad. "I don't know what happened!" The toddler cried. Cam saw the bottle of pills and immediately fumbled in his pocket for his phone. He called for help and lifted the toddler off the floor. He sat down on the couch and cradled the toddler to his chest to try and comfort him. As the toddler was freaking out and shaking, Cam played with his hair to distract him. The doorbell rang and Cam let the EMT's in and told them where Matt was. As Cam locked up the house, he kept Vivian in his arms so he wouldn't panic more than he already was. "Are you coming with sir?" One of the EMT's asked and Cam nodded. 

As Cam climbed into the back of the ambulance, he kept Vivian's face away from his dad so he wouldn't have to see. He quickly texted Toby a rundown of what had happened and said he didn't know when he would be back. "Do you know what happened?" An EMT asked. "He must have overdosed on whatever pills he had." "What is your relation to this man?" "Matt is my best friend and next door neighbor. His son here, Vivian, knew something was wrong and he came to get help." "You're a brave young man." The EMT said as she smiled at the toddler. Vivian gave her a sad smile as the tears ran down his face in a continuous stream. She gave him a few stickers and he weakly thanked her. 

When they arrived at the hospital, the nurses wouldn't allow them in the back with Matt. Cam nodded and deeply exhaled as he sat down. After the pair had been there for an hour, Vivian seemed to have calmed down for the most part. The woman working at the front desk noticed how long they had been there and approached them with a smile. "Are you here with the man that was wheeled in an hour ago?" Cam nodded and Vivian stared up at her while hugging his stuffed monkey close to him. "There's a little playroom to occupy your time if you're interested." Cam looked down at the toddler, "How does that sound Viv?" The toddler hesitantly nodded and the woman smiled before standing up. Cam followed her, the toddler wrapping his arms around the blonde's neck. "Here we are. If there's any news on your friend, I'll make sure to tell you." "Thank you." Cam said and she smiled again before she left. 

The playroom wasn't too big, but it didn't matter because it was like a field day for little kids. Cam set Vivian down on the floor and the toddler hesitantly went to play. Cam opted to sit down on the ground against the wall and call Toby. "Cam, what happened?" She asked as soon as she answered the phone. "Matt overdosed on something as far as I can tell. So when we doubted what Viv was saying a few days ago, he was actually telling the truth." "So that means-" "Yes. Everything Vivian said was true, and we didn't listen to him. Now Matt's in the hospital with at least an overdose." "That is terrible. How is Vivy doing?" "Not good. He's not a mess on the outside anymore, but I can tell he wants his dad." "I would too if that was me." "How's the family?" Cam asked, which really meant, what were their reactions to this. 

"Complaining that Matt ruined Christmas again." "If I catch anyone saying anything negative about Matt or Vivian in front of me, I'm going to kick them out. I don't care who said what, if I hear anything they're leaving." "Agreed." After they had been sitting in the waiting room for hours, Cam checked the time and saw it was around six o'clock. "C'mon Squirt. Let's go find something to eat." Vivian was silent as they journeyed their way down to the dining lounge. "What do you want to eat?" "Peas." "Is that it? You've got to at least want something else." "Milk." "Are you sure that's it? You can have anything here." "Mashed potatoes and cake." Cam grinned and ruffled the toddler's hair. "That's the Vivian I know." They got all their food and sat down at a table near the middle. 

As they were eating, Cam noticed how distant the toddler had become. He hadn't seen Vivian's bright smile in a while, and he missed it. Cam finally understood why he was upset when Vivian spoke up. "Is Daddy going to die?" Vivian asked out of the blue. Cam almost choked on his chicken at the question and glanced down at the toddler. "Of course not. He's just going to be in the hospital for a period of time." "How long?" "I'm not sure. As long as it takes to help him get better." After Cam told him that, Vivian seemed to relax. When they had finished eating dinner and headed back to the waiting room, the nice receptionist met them with a warm smile. She picked up her phone and called someone quickly before a doctor came out from the back. "Friends or family of Matthew Hampton?" Cam nodded and he stood up, Vivian wrapping his arms around Cam's neck. "Is he alright?" Cam asked as the doctor started leading them back.

"If he wakes from his coma, he will eventually start recovering." "If?" Cam asked. "If he wakes up from his coma, he will be able to start recovering better than he is while in the coma." "What happened to him?" Cam asked as they were nearing Matt's room. "Mr. Hampton overdosed on a drug called Modafinil, a drug taken used to decrease sleepiness and make a person appear more awake. Besides the overdose, Mr. Hampton was discovered to have passed out multiple times from lack of nutrition, lack of sleep, and overworking his body. His body couldn't handle overworking so much that his system just shut down, and then his body sent him into a coma from drug overdose." Cam was shocked, to say the least. He shook his head and watched as Vivian squirmed to be put down. Cam set him on the floor and the toddler eagerly followed the doctor.

Vivian didn't understand what a coma was, so when the doctor opened the door to Matt's brightly lit room, Vivian expected his dad to be awake in his bed. Vivian had run into the room ahead of the two adults and would've climbed onto the bed with Matt if the doctor had stopped him. Vivian looked up at him in confusion before the doctor explained himself. "It isn't safe for you to be in the bed with your dad, bud." "But...Daddy." Vivian protested. "I know, but it would harm your dad right now." Vivian's lower lip protruded and he crossed his arms to try and hide how upset he was. The doctor told Cam they were free to stay in the room with Matt on the extra bed in the room or visit whenever they'd like. The doctor handed Vivian some stickers and showed Cam how to work the TV before leaving. 

Vivian wanted to start crying as he looked at his collection of stickers from the day. Cam sat them down on the empty bed opposite Matt's, and changed the TV station to a cartoon as an attempt to distract the toddler. Cam pulled his phone out and quickly called Toby to bring in some things for the both of them, as he knew the toddler wouldn't want to leave his dad's side. Cam could sacrifice the next couple of days to be in the hospital to keep Vivian with his dad. When Toby arrived at the hospital about an hour later, she walked into Matt's room to find Cam trying to console a hysterical Vivian. Toby's heart broke for the young boy and set down the duffel bag on the floor. "Oh baby, come here." Toby said softly. She gently lifted Vivian from Cam's embrace and cradled him to her chest. 

Toby began rocking back and forth to soothe the toddler. "I w-want my d-daddy!" He cried, his small body shaking feverishly. "Shh, baby you'll get him back, I promise." When the toddler's cries had subdued, Toby found him asleep against her. Toby continued rocking him back and forth as she sat down on the bed next to Cam. "So, what happened to Matt?" She asked softly. Cam quietly explained what had happened and Toby paled. "We should've paid better attention. When he said he was tired a few days ago, we should've noticed how bad he was getting." "But that drug he was taking made him appear awake. Maybe we couldn't have noticed. Matt was fine every other time we talked to him." "But why wouldn't he tell us?" "Matt's obviously been through some hardships. Maybe he just couldn't tell us about this one." 

Before Toby left, she made sure to remind Cam of a few things. "Call me in the morning. Jay and Mason will want to talk." "Of course." "Take care of him." "I will." When Toby arrived home, she was instantly bombarded with questions, especially from Cam's family. "When will Cam be back?" "In a couple of days." "Why is he staying at the hospital?" "To stay with Vivian." "Why does he have to stay with that kid?" "Because they don't have family." Toby said bitterly. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to make my kids dinner. If you want to eat something besides bitterness to fuel your egos, you might as well come to the kitchen."


	5. The Less I Know The Better

For the next few days, everything was silent at the McKay house. While the McKay house was silent, the hospital situation wasn't. Cam felt so bad for this kid and how much he had been through while younger than four years old. Two days into their three night stay, Toby had decided to drop by and see how everybody was doing. While Cam was sitting in a chair next to Matt, Vivian was sitting on the floor facing Cam. The TV was on, because it physically bothered both of them that the only noise was the beeping of Matt's heart monitor. Vivian's tiny hands were occupied with a puzzle box that one of the doctor's had given him the day before, along with a whole roll of stickers.

It bothered him that he couldn't figure it out and Cam picked up on how frustrated the toddler was. Cam smiled as he leaned over and slowly showed Vivian how to solve it. Vivian watched the adult solve the puzzle before returning it to it's scattered shape. Vivian attempted it for himself and when he finally solved it, his face lit up. Vivian shot up from the floor and went to show his dad that he had done it, before his face fell. "What's wrong Squirt?" "When is Daddy going to wake up?" "I don't know. I wish I could give you all the answers, but I just don't know." Cam said softly. Vivian dropped his gaze to the polished white tiles of the floor. "Is he ever going to wake up?" His voice was so quiet that if Cam hadn't been sitting in front of him it wouldn't have been heard. Cam opened his mouth to answer before two kids ran into the room with goofy grins on their faces.

Mason and Jay had took off running as soon as they had gotten off the elevator, leaving Toby in the dust. While Mason had run over to his dad, Jay had taken a different approach and instead had dropped onto the floor next to Vivian, dragging the toddler down in a hug. When Toby entered the room a few minutes later, her heart melted at the sight of her oldest child consoling his best friend. She walked over to the other side of Matt's hospital bed and set down the flowers and balloons they had brought with. She and Cam talked about random adult things that bored the kids before Toby noticed that Vivian looked more upset than usual. Cam had apparently noticed it too, as he leaned forward to tap the toddler's shoulder. "Why don't you show your aunt what you learned?" Toby watched as Vivian's face seemed to lit up and he scampered over to her. "What do you have?" She asked with a smile.

Vivian showed her how he could do it and her warm smile made the toddler's smile come back. The truth was, Vivian just wanted someone to be proud of him at almost all times. Most times it was his dad that was there to make him feel proud and loved, but now he wasn't present at the moment to do so. Vivian sat back down on the floor and suddenly Cam's phone started going off. The blonde pulled it from his back pocket and answered it. "Hello? Yes, this is him. Thank you for calling back." Cam stayed silent for a long time as he listened to Matt's boss on the phone. "Correct. He's in a coma right now. I'm not sure when he'll wake up. Once he wakes up he'll be able to start recovering. Yes. Thank you." Cam hung up and took a deep breath. "Matt's boss. I called both of them and I could only get a hold of one of them. They both wanted to come and visit him along with his co-workers at some point." "What did you tell them?" Toby asked. "I didn't know what to tell them. What do you tell someone who wants to see their co-worker that's in a drug induced coma?" Toby sighed and nodded. "I see what you mean."

When it was getting closer to nighttime, Toby decided it was time to take Mason and Jay home. "Why?" They both whined out. "Because we can't stay here after dark." "But Dad does!" "That's because your dad is needed here." "Really?" Mason asked in awe. Toby nodded and ruffled his hair. "Why is dad needed here?" Mason asked, his brown eyes wide with curiosity. "Vivian needs him right now more than we do." Toby explained and Mason nodded, but he was still confused. On the car ride home, he asked further. "How come Dad has to stay at the hospital with Vivian?" "Because your Uncle Matt is the only family Vivian has, Mace. Vivian needs his dad more than anybody, and that's why your dad is needed. Vivian needs someone to care for him and to love him. He needs someone to love him, and that's exactly what we've done." Mason nodded, satisfied with the answer.

The next day, Cam needed to find a way to break it to Vivian that they needed to go home. As Vivian was watching the TV while eating breakfast on the bed, Cam was seated next to him wondering how to do it. He finally decided on telling him straight forward, as Vivian seemed to respond better to the truth rather than foolish fibs. "Squirt, I don't want to say this, but I'm afraid we have to go home today." Cam said softly. Vivian suddenly froze, his fork clattering onto the plate. Cam watched as Vivian's big brown eyes widened in fear and his small frame began trembling as he suddenly clutched at his stuffed monkey. "We'll come back tomorrow, and your dad will still be here. He'll be safe here." Cam said as he went to ruffle the toddler's hair. However, the toddler flinched and seemed to scoot back towards the wall. "That's what mother said." He mumbled quietly, his brown eyes turning glassy. "What?" Cam asked. "That's what mother said. Right after she hurt Daddy and take me away." The toddler whimpered as a tear ran down his face. He seemed to curl in on himself and bury his face into his stuffed monkey. Cam drew back a bit in disbelief. "What are you talking about?" He asked in confusion.

"Mother was a bad person." Vivian said, completely unaware of what he was confessing to Cam. "She hurt Daddy before he go to work, then she turn on me and hurt me. Used to put me in the closet and lock it for days." Cam felt like he was getting punched in the gut. This was one of the most far fetched things Vivian had ever said, but every other time Vivian said something serious like this, he had been right. "Hurt you?" Cam asked to make sure he was hearing this right. "She hit Daddy all the time. I tell her to stop and she turn and hit me." "What would she hit you with?" Cam asked with a sick feeling in his stomach as he finally realized why Matt refused to talk about his ex-wife. "Everything she could. Mostly a block of wood." If Vivian was telling the truth, this was one sick thing for a person to do.

"Hurt all the time. Daddy try to get help, but nobody believe him. Mother's family call him crazy. He show them our scars, they call him liar. Daddy try to get me away all the time. She stop him and take me away to hurt me more." Cam clamped his eyes shut as the toddler continued on. "Daddy finally get Mother out of the house for two days to go on a trip with her family. He pack our stuff and send it away. He take us to law people before we leave and say Mother is his ex and that she won't hurt us no more." Cam stayed silent as he stood up to stand in front of the toddler. "Vivian Aiden Hampton, you better not be lying about any of this." Vivian's response was to show Cam a scar on his chest from his mother's abuse. Cam turned away and clenched his eyes shut. He desperately didn't want this to be true, but it made so much sense now. When Cam turned back, Vivian apparently realized what he had said and he started to panic internally. Cam picked up on this, and he quickly calmed him down before he heard the toddler talk again, "I be in big trouble."

"Why would you be in trouble?" "Daddy be mad I told you. I promised not to tell." "Vivian, has your dad ever hurt you?" Vivian shook his head and bit his lip. "Your father doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He's not going to hurt you, I promise. He might be upset, but he will never hurt you." Vivian still seemed a little hesitant to believe it, but he nodded anyway. "C'mon. We should go home." A whine bubbled up in Vivian's throat at the thought of leaving his dad. "We'll be back tomorrow, I promise. We can't just stay at the hospital every night though. Everyone's going to miss us." Vivian looked like he wanted to protest and Cam sighed. "Squirt, I know this is hard for you. Your dad has been a godsend to me, and I want to be here with him almost as much as you do." Cam said in a soft voice as he crouched down to try and be level with the toddler. "What's bothering you?" Cam asked gently. Vivian exhaled and a tear ran down his face.

"I afraid if we leave, Daddy leaves and he won't come back." "Oh Vivian, that isn't anything to worry about. Your father is going to stay here with you until the end of time. He loves you more than anything in this world. And I wouldn't dream of letting you two be separated. We'll come back everyday and visit for as long as possible, does that sound okay?" Vivian thought for a moment before he held his hand out. "Pinky promise?" Cam cocked his head to the side, "What's that?" "We link pinkies and it means you're telling the truth, or else." Cam grinned at the concept and he nodded. "Okay, I pinky promise you that everything is going to be okay and that we'll come here everyday until it does." They linked pinkies and Vivian grinned. He shot forward and wrapped his arms around Cam in a hug. "Thank you." Cam smiled despite the weighted aura around them. "Let's go home." Vivian said goodbye to his dad and to each and every worker on the floor that knew the pair by name, and scampered after Cam outside the hospital.

Cam shouldered the duffel bag Toby had brought three days earlier and scooped the toddler up off the wet street. A car stopped at the curb, and Cam saw it Toby's parents in the front seats. Cam opened up the car door and put the bag inside before getting in himself. On the drive home, Toby's parents tried to start a conversation with their son-in-law, but they noticed that he hardly paid any attention to them. Instead, he was constantly turning his attention to Vivian, who wasn't even his child. Halfway back to his house, Cam was searching through the bag to get Vivian's monkey when he noticed something stuffed inside the Jack and The Beanstalk book. Cam tugged it out of the book before he handed the monkey to Vivian. Cam was now holding a thick orange envelop that had Cam's name written out in black sharpie. How neither of them noticed it was a mystery, but Cam opened the top of the envelope and took out the stack of papers inside. They were wrapped up inside another envelope that had a label reading, For: Cameron McKay, and Cameron McKay only. Cam opened that envelope and inside he found a neatly handwritten letter. 

_Dear Cam,_

_Where do I begin? I'm so sorry that you have to read this letter. It was never my intention to place a burden onto your shoulders or onto Toby's. This was completely my fault and no one else's. I deserve what I got, and I don't want either of you to feel guilty. Tell Vivian that I'm so, so, so, so, so very sorry that I couldn't be a suitable father for him. I loved him more than anything in this world and I couldn't even protect him from his own mother. It's time I tell you the truth. My ex-wife was an abusive alcoholic. When I married her and when she was pregnant with Vivian, she was the kindest person you could've ever met. But after Vivian was born, something inside of her changed._

_She seemed to get more angry and aggressive over everything and she even quit her job because it stressed her out too often. When I first started coming home from work after Vivian was about a year old, I noticed he'd have strange cuts and bruises all over him. I'd ask her about it, but she'd lie to me about what had happened. I was clueless for half a year before I accused her of hitting him. Her eyes got angry all of a sudden and she did something I never thought would happen in a million years. She threw an empty bottle of Whiskey at me. Of course it shattered and it hurt an awful lot. From that point on, I learned that she was an alcoholic and that she liked to use our son as a punching bag. She then learned that she could use me as a punching bag as well, because I wouldn't fight back. I wouldn't fight back because I don't believe in harming a lady, especially my wife._

_I dreamed everything would go back to normal and I desperately tried to get help from her relatives, but they all called me a liar. They shunned me and refused to acknowledge my presence. Every time they came around, they wanted to take my son with them. I wouldn't let them and when I knew they were coming I would hold Vivian and never let him go. I couldn't lose him, not if I had a choice. He was my own flesh and blood, and my only family I had left. By the time Vivian was getting closer to two, the beatings started getting worse to the point where she actually hit Vivian hard enough to knock him out. At that moment, I couldn't do anything to fight against her. We both were getting abused to the point where it just began a normal thing and I knew we needed to get away. I managed to convince her to leave for a few days using a lie of cleaning to make her happy. She agreed and when she took off on a plane, I started packing as fast as I could._

_In less than twenty four hours I had all of our things packed up and shipped out to Melbourne without a return address. I made sure to cut off all ties with her and I voided our marriage. As soon as everything was done, I took Vivian and never looked back. For the past two years, I've found family in you, Toby, Jay, and Mason. Vivian and I felt love, but something outweighed love in my head. It's been hard, it's been so hard for me to do things. I'm working two, sometimes three jobs in a day just to stay afloat and try and lead a normal life. On top of that, the past comes back to haunt me all the time and I just can't handle it. I can't handle the fact that I'll never be a good enough father to Vivian or that my life will be normal because of what my ex-wife has done._

_It has all just been piling up and I haven't slept in days, almost weeks. I've been on pills to increase energy since I haven't been able to find time to sleep. If you're reading this, then it means I overdosed and my plan worked. Since I'm going to die, I want Vivian to be adopted into a nice, loving family. I know it's asking a lot, but I know that both you and Toby love Vivian as if he's one of your own kids and would do anything for us. I've attached all of the needed papers for Vivian to be adopted, and I know he'll be loved in your family. Take good care of Vivian._

_-Matthew Hampton_

And that's when Cam's heart officially broke. 


	6. Die Young

Cam finally understood why Matt was so self conscious of himself and why he always seemed so timid. Cam put all the pieces together and understood why Matt apologized all the time for things that weren't his fault, especially the Christmas incident from last year. The worst thing about this whole thing, was the fact that Matt was blaming himself for everything that had happened and tried to kill himself to make it better. Cam had finished the letter as the car was pulling into his driveway and his heart was wedged in his throat. He hastily left the car and set Vivian down in the living room with Jay and Mason before throwing the duffel down. Cam started to feel overwhelmed and he yelled for Toby. 

Toby emerged from the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. Everyone saw how panicked Cam was and Toby threw the towel into the kitchen before crossing over to him. Cam tried to force words out, but the more he tried the harder he started to shake and finally tears started rolling down his face. Toby put one hand on Cam's back and guided him out of the living room and into their bedroom, shutting the door behind them. She sat Cam down on the bed and squeezed his hand for comfort, as his other hand was tightly latched onto the orange envelope. Toby gently pried the envelope from his grip and set it on the bed. Toby took Cam's other hand in hers and continued squeezing them to console him. "What happened?" She asked softly. 

Cam still couldn't get words out as he kept shaking. Finally, he managed to say, "He...blamed...himself." Cam broke his hands free from Toby's grip and buried his face in them. "He?" Toby asked. Cam pointed to the orange envelope and Toby slowly opened it. She read through everything and it all fell into place in her mind as well. "Oh, this is terrible." She whispered. "Matt blamed himself for everything because of what his ex-wife put him through. He thought everything was his fault and he tried to kill himself to resolve it." Cam shakily whispered. "The worst part is, Vivian told me right before I read the letter." "What?" Toby asked and Cam nodded, his blue eyes dull with water.

"When I explained to Viv that we had to go home, he didn't want to go. I told him that we would be back and Matt would be fine. He flinched and said that's what his mother had told him before she hurt Matt. Tobes, it was horrible. Vivian said she hit him with anything she could and she even locked him in a closet and starved him for days at a time." Toby gasped and shook her head. "This is why Matt never wanted to talk about Vivian's mother. She's a horrible person!" "Not just her, but her family too. They called Matt a liar about the abuse, even with the evidence of scars. Vivian even showed me a scar he got from her hitting him with a piece of wood." Toby's eyes widened again and Cam nodded with a sad look on his face. "With everything Matt had done for us, it seems almost impossible that he was ever treated so poorly." Cam was silent for a moment before he sighed. 

"What should we do?" "What do you mean?" "What should we do if Matt does...you know, die?" "Let's not think like that." "But it could happen Tobes. What are we going to do?" "For starters, we'll obviously take care of Vivian. We'll put up a strong argument with the law and adopt him. He doesn't have anyone else, and that letter from Matt would be proof of consent." Toby said, "But nothing bad is going to happen to Matt. He's going to recover, because he's a fighter. He fights back against everything that's happened to him, and I know with all my heart that he's going to be okay. For the rest of the time, we're going to be their family and take care of them like they've taken care of us." Cam nodded and he shakily stood up, wiping at his face to erase the evidence of his tears.

When the two emerged from their bedroom, Toby didn't hesitate to cross right over to Vivian and scoop him up off the floor to hug him. The toddler didn't protest and wrapped his arms around the adult's neck, burying his face in Toby's shirt. Cam sat down on the couch next to his kids, who immediately jumped at him with hugs. Cam gave them a smile as he wrapped his arms around them. Toby sat down on the couch while cradling Vivian in her arms. "Everything's going to be okay." Toby whispered to the toddler, who seemed to be drifting off to sleep. When Vivian had finally fallen asleep, Toby stood up and tucked Vivian into her bed so he could sleep in peace. She partially shut the door so he wouldn't be bothered before returning to the living room. "What's happening Mom?" Mason asked when Toby sat back down. 

"Nothing for you to worry about Mace. Everything's going to be okay, Vivian's just going to stay with us until Uncle Matt is out of the hospital. We just need to find a place for him to sleep for the time being." "He can live with me in my room!' Jay said with a grin. "That's very kind of you Jay." Toby said, smiling at her son. Later that day, an air mattress was placed into Jay's room for Vivian to sleep on. Vivian woke up in time for dinner and was about to go eat when Toby stopped him. "Let's get your face cleaned up." She said, as Vivian's face was still messy from crying. Vivian let himself be carried away and Cam took that opportunity to talk to his relatives. "Everybody listen up. I have something important to say." Once everyone was paying attention to him, Cam took a deep breath and started talking.

"I need you all to respect that this is my house, and I am in charge here. Vivian, the third child in this house, is here because his father is in the hospital with a coma. If I hear one, and even just one negative thing about Matt or Vivian this holiday, I will not hesitate to ask you to leave this house immediately. I am not joking in any shape or form, and I expect this to be taken seriously. Matt is my best friend that has worked miracles for my family, and he needs to be treated with respect, regardless if he's present or not. Does everyone understand?" Cam saw that everyone was nodding and he released all of the tension from his body. "Good." 

When Toby came into the kitchen with Vivian, the toddler refused to let go of her. No matter what Toby tried, Vivian would refuse to stop clinging. So, Toby just dealt with it and sat down to eat dinner. Cam could tell their guests were holding back harsh words as they eyed the toddler the entire time they ate. Vivian didn't say anything the entire night and hardly touched his food. "Don't you want to eat anything?" Toby asked the toddler. Vivian shook his head and squeezed his monkey a bit tighter. When the three kids were sent off to play, Cam and Toby started the dishes. "Cam, how long is this going to go on? I can practically feel that kid's spirit die from here." 

"I'm not sure. The doctors told me that Matt could be in a coma for a few days to years on end. I'm almost positive that Matt won't be in the hospital for longer than a few months at most." "Vivian is only three, and it's just awful for him to be going through something like this." "I know Tobes. But we can't suddenly treat them differently than we have been. If I was in that position, I would want to be treated the same way as anybody else." "I agree. But we still need to have a sense of respect for him and the way he regards his past." "Of course, although we need to try and eliminate his negative self talk. Matt blamed everything on himself, which isn't true at all." "Agreed. We'll find some way to help him. For now, let's just work on getting through the holidays." 

When everyone was winding down for the night, Vivian didn't want to go to sleep. He would keep making excuses to stay awake later, but finally he gave in and let himself be tucked in on the air mattress. Vivian tried to sleep, but he just couldn't. So he laid awake on the floor of Jay's room for a few hours before he eventually decided to just go out into the kitchen, where a light was always left on, to go look at the few books he owned. Vivian silently rolled off the air mattress and grabbed his stuffed monkey by the arm before grabbing two books, one about monkeys, the other being Jack and the Beanstalk. He maneuvered his way through the darkness of the room before slowly opening the door and slipping out into the hallway, shutting Jay's door behind him. 

Vivian made sure to remain quiet as he slipped into the kitchen and pulled himself up onto a chair and kept climbing until he reached the counter tops where the lights in the wall automatically turned on in the dark. Vivian dangled his legs off the edge of the counter tops and swung them slightly as he opened up his book about monkeys. Vivian flipped through the pages multiple times for about an hour before he heard footsteps in the hallway approaching the kitchen. As soon as Vivian looked up, he could tell it was Cam standing at the fridge getting a glass of water. The blonde turned around and jumped in surprise at seeing Vivian staring back at him. "What are you doing up Squirt?" Cam asked as he set his empty glass down in the sink before moving to stand in front of the toddler. Vivian dropped his gaze and wrapped his arms around his stuffed monkey. "Hey, I'm not mad at you Squirt. Is there a reason why you aren't sleeping?" Cam asked and Vivian slowly looked up at him. "My first night away from Daddy." 

A look of realization crossed Cam's face and he flashed the toddler a sad smile. "I get it. You can't to go to sleep because your dad isn't here." Vivian nodded and Cam saw the discarded books at his side. "Would you like me to read to you?" Vivian's frown instantly perked up and he eagerly nodded. Cam grinned as he scooped the toddler and the books up, and walked into the living room. Cam grabbed a blanket and turned on a standing lamp before sinking into the rocking chair. He covered both of them with the blanket and asked which book Vivian wanted to be read. Vivian immediately chose Jack and the Beanstalk and Cam laughed. "This must be your favorite." "Duh." Cam laughed again and ruffled the toddler's hair as he opened up the book and began softly reading. When Vivian still wasn't asleep when Cam was done, the blonde reached for the shelf next to him and pulled out a different book he thought Vivian would enjoy. "What's this one?" The toddler asked as he looked up at the adult. 

"It's a whole book of fairy tales like Jack and the Beanstalk." Vivian's face gleamed with excitement and settled against Cam's chest once again. Cam had read half of the book before he noticed Vivian was asleep curled up against his chest. Cam finished the current fairy tale he was on before he was lulled to sleep, the book softly clattering to the floor. The next morning, Toby was awakened by Jay running into the room and jumping on the bed to get her attention. "Jay, what are you doing?" Toby groggily asked as she sat up rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Viv isn't in my room." "What?" Toby asked, not totally believing what Jay told her. "Viv isn't in my room. I woke up and he was gone." 

Toby looked next to her to see if Cam was awake and all she found were untouched blankets. "C'mon, I'm sure your father and Vivian are both around the house somewhere." Jay nodded and jumped onto the floor and followed Toby down the hallway. Less than five minutes later, Toby found Cam asleep on the rocking chair in the living room, the standing lamp on and a book of fairy tales on the ground. The toddler was curled up against Cam's chest with the most peaceful look Toby had ever seen. Cam was knocked out with sleep but he looked totally relaxed in the rocking chair with a blanket covering both of them. Toby noticed that both of Cam's arms were wrapped around Vivian and she thought her heart would melt. She took tons of photos to embarrass her husband with later before starting breakfast. The family all came into the kitchen to eat breakfast and Toby made sure to shush them so Cam and Vivian could sleep in the other room. "Why do we need to be so quiet?" "Cam is sleeping in the living room and I don't want him to wake up." The family grumbled but did as Toby said and remained quiet. 

It was Christmas Eve and Toby knew that Cam wanted to take Vivian back to the hospital to see Matt before dinner. So as the two slept away in the living room, Toby knew she had to eventually wake them up. However, her job was done thanks to a few of their family members purposely waking them. Toby walked into the room to see who was yelling and she sighed when she saw Cam and Vivian had awoken. "Oh, you guys are hopeless. You woke them up on purpose!" She scolded. She walked over to the rocking chair and started playing with the toddler's hair because of his panicked face. "Daddy?" Vivian asked as he kept looking around. "You did it. You made it through the night Squirt." Cam whispered, his throat squeezing with his words. "Is that why you two were out here?" Toby asked and Cam nodded.

"I came out to get a glass of water and he was sitting on the counter. He told me it was his first night apart from Matt, and I couldn't just leave him there." Toby smiled at Cam with the warmest look on her face. "That was one of the most compassionate things I've ever heard." Cam dropped his gaze, his face red. "You want to go see your dad?" The blonde asked the toddler, who was still curled up against him. Vivian eagerly nodded and Cam stood up, setting the toddler on the floor. "I'm assuming the rest of Viv's clothes are still next door?" Toby nodded and Cam grabbed the key from his room before taking Vivian next door to get more of his clothes. Cam got the toddler dressed and ready for the day before heading back to his house. "Tobes, I'm going to head out." "You'll be back in time for the party, right? We party tonight and tomorrow." "Right. I'll try my best, but I might be a little late, considering Viv might not want to leave." "Okay, let me know if anything changes." Cam nodded and scooped the toddler up before climbing into his car to head to the hospital. 

The partying that night was quiet as well as Christmas Day. Everyone was afraid of upsetting Cam with their conversations, but he didn't seem to worry all that much because he spent almost all his time at the hospital with Vivian. A week after Christmas, Cam was finally cornered by his family about spending so much time at the hospital. They all thought Cam didn't care about his family anymore. Cam denied their accusation and continued to take Vivian to the hospital and spend a large chunk of the day there. The toddler had taken to spending the night sleeping in Jay's bed with the older boy, as the six year old knew Vivian was having issues sleeping alone. A few times Cam and Toby caught the two cuddling while sleeping and thought it was the cutest thing ever. 

Two weeks after Christmas, Cam was driving to the hospital with Vivian, the toddler very excited to see his dad. When the two emerged from the elevator, all the unoccupied employees came and said hello, talked for a few minutes, and gave Vivian some more stickers. As Vivian was looking through his collection, Cam maneuvered them to Matt's room and went both inside. As Vivian walked through, he wasn't paying attention and all of a sudden he was being whisked off the floor. He barely had enough time to grab hold of his stickers and looked around the room to see bunches of people he had never seen in his life. He looked at Cam for an answer, but the adult was just as confused. Everyone in the room turned to look at the pair and Cam figured he should start introductions. "Hello everyone. Do we know each other from somewhere?" The six people in the room shook their heads, "We're a few of Matt's co-workers." Four of them introduced. "And we're his bosses." The other two finished. 

Cam nodded in understanding, "And who might you two be?" "Oh, I'm Cam, Matt's best friend. And this is Vivian, Matt's son." "We knew Matt had a son, but we never expected him to be this young." Cam smiled down at Vivian and noticed the toddler squirming to be set down. Cam leaned over and set the toddler on the floor, who immediately shot forward over to Matt's bed. The doctors had recently allowed Vivian to get into Matt's bed as long as someone was there to make sure he was careful. Vivian struggled to get on the bed by himself, and Cam grinned as he lifted the toddler and set him down in the bed. Vivian settled into the empty space on Matt's right side and looked through his stickers again. Cam took the chair next to Matt's bed again and started making small talk with the other visitors when Vivian suddenly shifted. "Uncle Cam." "What is it Squirt?" Cam asked, immediately alert. "Something wrong with Daddy." 

Cam was about to ask what he meant when all of a sudden Matt's heart monitor started beeping like crazy. Cam took the toddler from the bed and several nurses ran in and ejected everyone from the room. Vivian was visibly starting to panic and Cam walked to the lounge at the end of the hallway. "Shh, hey, everything's going to be fine." Cam comforted him, even though he was just as terrified. Matt couldn't die. He just couldn't. He was too much of a fighter to just die. But even the strongest fighters have weaknesses. Vivian clutched onto Cam tighter than he ever had and Cam sighed as he ruffled the boy's hair. "Vivian, you are one of the bravest people I've ever met, almost as brave as your father." Vivian looked at Cam with brown eyes blown wide with confusion and terror. 

"You come here every day to be with your father, no matter what. You and your father both are fighting demons just to be happy, and you know what?" "What?" Vivian asked as he wiped tears from his face. "You're still kicking. Your father is the strongest person I've ever known, and he's going to be okay. He's going to be okay, I promise you." Vivian didn't say anything and just clung to Cam as tears continued down his face. "I just want Daddy back." "You'll get him back, I promise." Vivian managed to tire himself out and he fell asleep against Cam. When Cam made sure Vivian was asleep long enough to be moved, he stood up and walked out from the lounge. He passed Matt's co-workers and bosses trying to talk to some of the doctors with no luck. Cam politely pushed past them and he looked at one of the head nurses that had taken a liking to Vivian that gave the toddler a little gift every time he was working. "Cam, how can I help?" He asked as he picked up his clipboard. "Jake, what's going on with Matt?" 

"I can't say for sure. I know he's being taken into the examination rooms, but I can tell you it has something to do with his heart either reacting to the things we've been injecting into his bloodstream to keep him alive or a heart attack." "Is he going to be okay?" "I can't give you a guarantee. More than anything I want to see him come out of this alive, but most overdoses result in death. I don't want to believe it, but Matt has a chance of dying." "How much of a chance?" Cam asked. "Let's just say...more than half." Cam's mouth dropped open and he was so grateful that Vivian was asleep at that moment. As he tried to collect himself to talk again, so many thoughts were running through his head. "Will...will you call me when Matt's able to have visitors again?" "Of course Cam. Same number?" Cam slowly nodded and thanked Jack before walking towards the elevators. Every step of the way back to his car seemed heavier than usual. Matt could die, and Cam didn't know how he'd handle that. Or how Vivian would handle it. He was three, almost four and he might not have a mother and a father to be here for him anymore.


	7. I Swear I Lived

As Cam drove home, he willed himself not to cry over and over and turned on the radio to distract himself. When Cam pulled into his garage, he was still biting his lip to suppress the tears from pouring down his face. When he took Vivian out of his car seat, the toddler's small arms wrapped around his neck for comfort. Cam shut the car door as quietly as he could and entered his house with a heavy heart. The family was all sitting in the living room waiting for him, Toby and his kids excluded. "Wh...where's Toby?" Cam managed out. "You would know if you had been home." They snapped and he flinched. "Please don't do this. Not now. Not at this god forsaken time." Toby must've heard the interaction and popped into the living room from their office. "Hey you're home!" Toby said, and her face fell when she noticed Cam's grim look. "Hey, what's going on?" 

The relatives started adding their own comments and insults until Cam finally turned on his heel and snapped. "Shut up! Just shut up!" When the relatives drew back, Toby turned Cam back towards her. "What's wrong? I can tell something is wrong." Cam opened his mouth to talk, but all that came out was a strangled sound. "Matt could die." Toby's mouth dropped open and Cam did his best to chase the tears away, but his will finally broke and he started crying. "I talked to one of the doctors, and he said most people that overdose never come out alive. The only thing I could think of was Vivian and how he's going to be affected. Toby, he's only three! Could you even imagine not having a family at the age of three?" "Hey, calm down. It's not going to do any good to start freaking out. Matt will be fine." 

"We all keep saying that, but do we really believe it?" Toby sighed and Cam shook his head. "We may not believe it, but Matt's a fighter. He's been fighting almost his entire life, and I know he'll get through this." Cam nodded and dropped his gaze to glance at the small toddler in his arms. "You remember that doctor I told you about? The one that really likes Vivian and gives him little things every time we're there?" Toby nodded, "Well, I talked to him and he said he'd call me as soon as Matt is stable again. The only problem is that I don't know how long that will be and I don't know how to break it to Viv." "We'll figure it out by tomorrow if we have to tell him." "I'm going to go lay him down in our bed where he won't be bothered." Toby nodded and watched Cam trudge down the hallway. 

Toby could tell that her family was seething, but were keeping their thoughts to themselves. When Toby and Cam did have to break the news to the toddler, Vivian didn't take it well. He began crying harder than usual and flailing wildly. He kept crying out for Matt and eventually wore himself back to sleep. Even asleep, Vivian refused to let go of Cam. Even after Vivian was awake, he wouldn't stop clinging to Cam or Toby. Two days later, Jay had to go back to Primary School and Vivian refused to be in a room without either of the adults he trusted with his life. Vivian now believed that his dad had left the Earth, but he didn't want to accept it. Jay had been back in school for a few days when the weekend came again. A few of Jay and Mason's friends came over, which left Vivian to sit alone and look absolutely miserable. 

"Are you sure you don't want to go play with the other kids buddy?" Cam asked as looked over at the toddler. Vivian bit his lip and shook his head. "I just want my Daddy back." Cam was about to say something when Toby intercepted him. She swept the toddler up and sat back down cradling Vivian in comfort. "Of course you want him back. Matt is your father, and you need him more than anybody. He's going to be fine." "Stop lying to me." Vivian whimpered and Toby shook her head. "I would never lie to you bubba. I could fool any other child that I wanted, but never you. You've been raised hearing the straight truth and Uncle Cam and I have both learned it's best to be truthful around you, even though you're so young." Vivian still shook his head in disbelief and Toby gently turned his head to face her. 

"Vivan Hampton, you've never had a day in your life where you haven't been fighting something. But you have to trust us on this bubba. Uncle Cam and I love you very much, and we'd never do anything to hurt you or your father." Vivian was silent for a moment before he finally nodded and wrapped his arms around Toby's neck and just relaxed against her chest. Hours later the family was sitting down to eat dinner when Cam's phone rang on the kitchen island. He pushed back from the table and crossed the kitchen to answer it. He looked at the caller ID and dropped his phone on the floor. He fumbled it around for a few seconds before finally pressing the accept button. "Yes?" He asked quietly into the phone. "Cameron?" "I'm here. What's the news?" Cam asked Jake, the doctor that adored Vivian. Jake sighed and Cam stiffened. "What happened? Is he okay?"

"Yes. Matt came out from the examination rooms two days ago, and this morning we moved Matt out from the Intensive Care Unit back into his hospital room." Cam sighed in relief and he leaned against the counter to keep himself standing. "That's the best thing I've ever heard." Cam said softly and he looked over at Vivian, who was staring down at his plate. Jay and Mason hadn't been told about Matt's move in the hospital, so they didn't understand why Vivian was so upset. "I'll be there with Vivian in about an hour." "I'll see you then." Jake said with a smile, and hung up the phone. 

Cam grinned as he turned around and stopped next to the kids' small table and crouched down. "Vivian, guess who I just talked to?" The toddler looked up and shrugged. "Jake called me and told me your dad is getting better." The toddler's brown eyes immediately lit up, "Really?" "Really. I told Jake we'd be there after dinner." Vivian grinned and jumped up to hug the blonde. Cam hugged the small child and set him back down in his chair. "When you finish eating we can go see him." Vivian started eating again, but quicker than he had previously. Cam sat down and finished his dinner and watched Vivian run off to get his hoodie and stuffed monkey from Jay's bedroom. 

When Cam cleared his and Toby's plates from the table, both sets of parents cleared their throats to get Cam's attention. Said man turned his head to see his parents and his in-laws standing up with disapproving looks on their faces. "Can I help you?" Cam asked, his grin never fading. "This has got to stop." "What needs to stop?" "You running off to see somebody that isn't worth any of your concerns." Cam didn't respond and just continued to happily wash the dishes. "Cameron, you can't keep doing this." "And why not? I'm a grown man, and I'll do what I please." "What about your kids?" "My kids shouldn't be at the hospital right now. It's a dark and heavy atmosphere." "Then why are you taking that other boy there almost every day?" "Because it's his father." Cam said as he turned on his heel.

"I don't care how any of you feel about this, because it isn't any of your business or your concerns. Vivian needs his father, and being at the hospital is better for him than anything else." "Why take the youngest one to see a man who has such a little chance of living and risk making him more upset?" "Because he was already upset when they moved here!" Before Cam continued, he turned to his eldest child. "Jay, would you take Mason back to your room and see if you can help Vivian find his hoodie?" Jay nodded and took Mason's hand before leaving the the room. 

"Now listen here. Matt means more to us than you'd think. His safety and his kid's safety are one of the top priorities here." Cam said and turned back to the sink. "Why is he so important? This freeloader has more of your attention than any of your own family members." Cam tensed up and his hands tightened their grip on the plate he was holding. "What has he done that's so special? He's done absolutely nothing except impose on our family gatherings and make your lives miserable." That pushed Cam over the edge and somehow the plate he had been holding shattered all over the kitchen table. "You want to know why Matt is so special to us? Well fine, I'll tell you!" Cam said, his level of anger rising from his relatives' accusations. 

"Matt's helped us out in more than ways than we ever needed him to. He's been the kindest person in our lives, and he's helped us out in more ways than any of you have ever done. When Toby's father had a heart attack, Matt immediately said he would take care of Jay and Mason without hesitation. He gives up his weekends to spend time with my kids, and that prized car out front? That's his car. Matt literally gave us his car against our will after ours was totaled! He takes the bus so we won't have to, and you want to know what else he's done for my family?" His family still had resentment written on their faces, so Cam continued. 

"He takes time out of his day to check in on all of us, he kept us from making life altering mistakes, and to top it all off, he saved us from going bankrupt! Matt literally overworked himself just to give his son a better childhood than he had, and you know what? I respect him for everything he's ever done. Maybe he isn't always a nice person, but it's a sad day in life when he can't get respect from people he was kind to. Matt's been in the hospital for almost a month because he overdosed on an anti-sleep drug to give his son a life without abuse. You've only managed to make it worse for him with these trash accusations." Vivian then came into the room in his new space hoodie he had gotten for Christmas, clutching his monkey. 

"Now, since I gave you all the warning, I'm going to enforce it. I expect you all to be gone from my house by tomorrow night, no argument from anybody." Cam tugged his own hoodie on as well as his shoes, and the family watched as his car pulled out onto the road and disappeared into the night. Toby had already previously agreed with Cam about the warning, so everything was set into stone. About ten minutes later, Cam was pulling into the hospital parking lot and unbuckling the toddler from his car seat. Vivian scampered after the adult along the familiar hallways of the hospital. When the elevator opened onto his dad's floor, he was beyond excited. His dad may not be awake, but at least he was here again.

As the two started for the end of the hallway, the circle of desks in the center was filled with people. Jake noticed the two and he stepped out to meet them. Jake gave them each a hello before he crouched down to almost be level with the toddler. "Vivian, I have some good and bad news for you. What would you like to hear first?" Jake asked. "Bad." "Alright. I'm sorry to say that this might be one of the last few times I'll get to see you." Vivian cocked his head to the side in confusion before Jake continued. "Because, your dad woke up."


	8. How Did I Get Here?

Vivian's eyes widened and he dropped his monkey as he starting running down the hallway towards Matt's room. "You're joking." Cam said. Jake stood up and shook his head with a grin. "I called you from his room and he woke up almost as soon as I hung up." A smile wormed its way onto Cam's face and he bent over to retrieve Vivian's monkey. "I'll talk to you later Jake." "Go. Matt needs the company, but he does have some visitors already." "Oh? Who would they be?" "The pair told me they were Matt's brother and sister." Cam's mouth dropped open and he started down the hallway after Vivian. Once Vivian had taken off, he didn't hesitate to skid to a stop in front of Matt's room. Inside the moderately lit room, Matt was sitting up in bed, talking to two strangers. As Vivian ran into the room he called out, "Daddy!" 

The three adults that had been conversing stopped and Matt turned his head to see his son beaming from the center of the room. Vivian ran over to the bed and tried to pull himself up, but found he couldn't. Cam came in a second later and set Vivian's monkey on the chair next to Matt's bed before lifting the toddler onto it, Vivian eagerly sinking into Matt's embrace. Matt hugged his son to his chest and cradled him gently. Cam smiled and he noticed that Matt was eyeing the stuffed monkey. "Don't worry about it. We'll talk about it later." Matt nodded and Cam sat down in the chair next to his bed. As Vivian curled into his Matt's chest, his dad's embrace tightened around him more so he would know that Matt was really there. 

"How has my baby been?" Matt asked his son. Vivian looked up and tears started running down his face. "Hey now, don't cry." Matt said softly as he began brushing Vivian's tears away. "It's been a roller coaster this past month, Matt." Cam said, answering for the toddler. "Oh?" "Viv struggled to fall asleep the first few nights because he missed you so much." Matt nodded and continued to keep his attention solely on Vivian. "I'm assuming you don't remember what happened?" Matt shook his head and Cam sighed as he sat forward. 

"I've been bringing Vivian here everyday since you've been hospitalized. This past week was no different and we were here along with both of your bosses and a few co-workers. The doctors had allowed Vivian to sit on the bed next to you, and he told me something was wrong with you before the actual heart monitor went off seconds later. That was the biggest scare I've ever experienced, and after that Vivian didn't want to be separated from both me or Toby." "I'm sorry about that." "No. Don't be sorry Matt. You aren't in the wrong here, and don't you ever start to believe that." "Thank you for taking care of him." "It was no trouble at all." Cam said. 

The other two adults in the room cleared their throats to acknowledge the fact that they were still present. "Oh, that's right. Cam, you remember how I told you about my childhood? Well, these are my siblings that have just recently been rescued by the police back in the United States and they found me here by accident. Maxine, Michael, meet my best friend Cam, and my son Vivian." Cam shook their hands but Vivian shied away from them and clung back against his dad. Matt accepted it and pulled him closer so Vivian was completely rested on his chest. He shifted so one of his hands was playing with the toddler's dark hair to soothe him. "How old is Vivian?" Maxine asked. "He's turning four really soon. The same day as my birthday, actually." Matt's siblings smiled and they asked if they could hug their nephew. 

"Um...I don't think that's a good idea." "Why not?" Michael asked, sounding hurt. "It's complicated to explain. Vivian doesn't do well with people he's never met. If you wanted to give it time, he wouldn't be so afraid." When Matt saw their offended looks, he shook his head. "But he's that way with most people. I don't mean this as an offence in any form, but he has a hard time trusting people he doesn't know. And I don't really know you guys either. We've all gone through something terrible, and it's changed us as people." "Wait a minute. You said all of us. What have you been through? You've just been living your life without prevail." Matt snorted and watched his sibling's eyes flit over to Cam. "Don't worry about him. He's my family too. And you don't have a clue what I've been through and I won't trouble you with the details." 

Maxine and Michael wanted to argue, but Matt raised his hand. "Don't. Please. I just came out of a coma for pete's sake. My kid was scared because he thought I was going to die, so please just leave things alone." Maxine and Michael trudged across the hospital room and sat down in chairs and pulled out their phones and began furiously typing something. Matt sighed and blinked his eyes shut. "I've been asleep for about a month and I'm still exhausted." Cam cracked a smile and patted Matt's shoulder. "Well, you aren't going back to work for a while either. I'm sure your bosses will be back in to talk about it. You can't just hop back into the swing of things after being in a coma." "I suppose you're right. That does give me a little more time to sort some things out." "Oh? Like what?" 

"If I should quit any of my current jobs outside of YouTube and find a higher paying job that suits me better." "That's a start. We should look into getting you a counselor for at least a couple of weeks. I know I'm not in charge, but maybe it will do you some good. I can't have my best friend upset and suffering in silence. Toby and I are here for you, and so is Vivian. He's only three and he's been through some of the same things you have. You don't have to keep silent anymore. You will never be a burden onto me, or Toby, or anyone else if you open your mouth and say you're struggling. Just please, promise me you won't do this again." Cam said, his voice breaking on the last word. 

Matt's face softened as he looked up at his best friend. Matt was suddenly hit with such strong emotion that he sucked in a breath. He understood how something he did to escape his problems affected the people he loved. Matt could somehow feel the pain he put his best friends and son through and his face broke. He had made three of his favorite people cry and worry so much about him. He made them suffer because he was suffering. Thick tears ran down Matt's face and he carefully maneuvered Vivian off his lap to reach up and drag Cam down into a hug. "I'm so sorry Cam. I'm so sorry!" Cam gently pulled Matt forward in his bed and hugged him back, attempting to calm his best friend.

"I was so worried about you and my relatives kept saying terrible things about you before I kicked them out. I couldn't just leave Vivian alone and scared about you." "You...kicked your family out?" "I couldn't stand the negativity coming from them. I gave them a warning about being negative about you, and they used it up. They'll all be gone by the time you're ready to go home." Matt smiled and he brushed his tears off his face and thanked his best friend. "I don't know what I ever did to deserve you and your family in my life." "You didn't complain about how bad you had it. And someone from up above heard you." Matt grinned and he wrapped Vivian up in another embrace. The toddler curled up into his dad's chest and looked over at Cam. "Monkey." He said softly and Matt started stroking his hair again. "What do you say?" Matt reminded Vivian. "Please." Matt smiled and leaned back in the bed. "I did good. I'm not failing like they said I would if I raised him myself." Cam smiled as he handed the toddler his stuffed monkey. "Yes. You've done a wonderful job." 

Matt closed his eyes in bliss and Vivian started panicking. "No! No fall asleep again!" "I'm just tired Vivy. I promise I won't go into another coma. I'll be right here." Vivian nodded and cuddled into his dad more. Vivian fell asleep curled up against Matt's chest while the two adults talked about so many different topics. When Cam pulled his phone out hours later, he saw that it was ten at night. "I should probably take Viv home. He loves waking up in time to take Jay to school." Matt grinned, "Tell Mason and Jay I said hi." "Of course. Some night this week, I hope to bring them both here. They've missed you, and so has Toby." "Bring them all in. I want to see those happy faces." Cam laughed and nodded his head. "I'll make sure to bring Vivian by tomorrow." Matt nodded and he kissed the toddler's head before letting Cam gingerly lift Vivian into his arms. "You better give him a good breakfast tomorrow." "We always do." "I was talking about the monkey." Cam rolled his eyes and left the now empty room, Maxine and Michael having already left hours earlier. 

Cam buckled the toddler into his car seat without waking him, and started the drive home. When Cam parked his car in the garage, he quietly entered his house with the sleeping toddler. Cam quietly opened the door to Jay's room and laid the toddler down on the air mattress and covered him with a blanket before looking for Toby. Cam found Toby in the living room and dropped onto the couch next to her. "You're back later than normal." Toby said as she looked at her husband. "Vivian wanted to stay a little longer. So did I." "Oh? Why is that?" Toby asked as she turned back to her sketchpad. "Matt woke up." 

Toby's mouth fell open and her sketchpad clattered to the floor. "Are you serious?" Cam nodded, a smile blooming on his face. Toby tackled her husband in a hug and Cam returned the embrace. "That's the best news I've heard in a while." "I know! Matt wants to see you and the kids, so I told him sometime this week we'd all come in and see him." "I can't wait! How about Friday night after we pick Jay up from school?" "Sounds like a plan." However, their plan for Friday night was disrupted, as Jay brought a few of his friends home after school. "Jay, I thought I told you we were going to see Uncle Matt tonight." Cam said, as Vivian was settled on his hip. The toddler was still extremely clingy, and he became upset if he wasn't being held by either Toby or Cam for longer than five minutes.

"But Dad! This is the only time they could come over!" Jay protested and watched as Vivian covered his ears from his friends' loud yelling. Cam sighed and turned to look at Toby, who had brought the boys home. "We agreed that Jay's friends could come over weeks ago, when Matt wasn't awake." Cam sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Matt was so happy to hear his favorite nephews were coming to see him. I guess he'll only get to see one of them." "I'm sorry Cam. We can try and all go tomorrow." "It won't work. The boys have the group trip to the zoo." Toby sighed, "We'll make it in there. Maybe not all at once, but we'll all get there to see Matt, I promise." Cam nodded and all of Jay's friends watched as Cam left the room. 

"I didn't know you had another brother besides Mason." "I don't. That's Vivian." "Who is he?" "He's mine and Mason's best friend that lives next door. His dad is sick right now, so we're taking care of him." Toby smiled at her son and ruffled his hair as she passed by. "Don't cause any trouble you four." The four kids nodded and did as told. When Toby called them all in for dinner, Jay's three friends ran into the kitchen and noticed that Jay had disappeared. "I'll go look for him. Go ahead and start eating." Toby left the kitchen and found Jay in his room helping Vivian put on his hoodie. Cam was across the hall in Mason's room doing the same thing, and Toby watched as her son successfully helped the toddler get ready to leave. When Vivian stretched his small hands out of the sleeves, Jay gathered him in a hug. "I'm sorry I can't go see Uncle Matt with you." Vivian looked up at him with big brown eyes and cocked his head to the side in confusion. 

"I really miss Uncle Matt, but I know I haven't missed him as much as you have. Will you give him these when my dad takes you and Mason to the hospital?" Jay asked as he pointed to a few handmade cards and drawings. Vivian nodded and Jay beamed. This time the toddler hugged Jay, the taller hugging the smaller back. "My Daddy miss you too. He be sad you not there with Aunt Toby." "I know. Will you tell him I'm sorry that my mom and I aren't there?" Vivian nodded again before grabbing the few papers from off of the small table in Jay's room and went to leave before Jay stopped him. "Don't forget your monkey." Vivian grinned at his best friend as a thank you and Jay watched Vivian's small hand reach out and grab the monkey. In that moment, Jay realized how small his best friend actually was. When Jay watched his dad leave with Mason and Vivian, he turned to look at Toby. "Why is Vivian so small? Shouldn't he be the same size as Mason?" Toby sighed and shook her head. 

"Yes, he should be. But he can't help it, and neither can your Uncle Matt." "Why?" A sad smile settled on Toby's face and she ruffled her son's hair. "Don't worry about it. Just be thankful you have more than enough food and a loving family." Jay nodded, but his confusion continued to linger. Both Jay and Mason took notice of the vast differences between their family and Matt and Vivian's family. They noticed the scars, they noticed how thin they were and how busy their Uncle Matt was compared to their parents. Even upon noticing these things, they weren't given answers. They didn't know why Matt was in the hospital or that he could've died, or the horrible things Vivian and Matt had gone through, and they didn't know why Vivian was so small compared to everyone else. Every time that either of the two kids asked, they were declined the actual answer, and instead given the phrase, "It's something you kids shouldn't know at your age." 

So while Jay was pondering over his questions, his younger brother was doing the same in Matt's hospital room. When Mason stepped off the elevator, he watched as his dad set a wriggling Vivian down on the ground. The toddler shot off down the hall and ran into the same room Mason had been in a few weeks earlier. "Dad?" Mason asked as he followed Cam down the hall. "Yes Mason?" "Why is Uncle Matt here?" Cam was silent for a moment before he looked down at his son. "To put it in simple terms, your Uncle Matt was very tired and his body stopped working." "Stopped working?" Mason asked. "His body couldn't handle working so much, so it just stopped working. He fell asleep so he could heal." Mason nodded and Cam pushed open the door leading into Matt's hospital room. Vivian was already on Matt's bed, having climbed up with assistance from the chair resting next to Matt's bed. Matt was keeping his son as close to him as possible, and Vivian was loving it. 

Cam came into the room, Mason following behind him. Matt saw how Mason's face lit up at seeing him, and that sent a flush of euphoria straight to his heart. "Uncle Matt! You're awake!" Mason called in surprise. "Indeed I am Mace. How have you been buddy?" Matt asked. "I missed our movie nights." Matt sighed and he felt Vivian scoot closer to him to be warmer. "I did too. When I'm all better, I promise we'll do a movie night to make up for the ones we missed." Mason nodded and Matt looked at Cam. "Where's Toby and Jay?" "Well..." Cam started and stopped mid-sentence. Vivian sat up and presented his dad with the papers he had gotten from Jay. "What are these?" Matt asked as he started leafing through the papers. 

"Jay sorry he and Aunt Toby can't be here. He gave me those for you." Vivian said and Matt nodded. "They couldn't come tonight, because Jay had his friends over. We agreed to let them come over weeks ago." Matt nodded again and smiled down at the drawings and get well soon cards Jay had made for him. He managed to stand them up on the bedside table and then hugged Vivian to his chest again. "So, what's new with you Mace?" Matt asked the other child in the room. As Mason excitedly recounted stories from the entire time Matt had been in the hospital, Vivian started to nod off. Out of pure habit, Vivian started reaching out but ended up grabbing air. Cam noticed what he was doing and held Vivian's stuffed monkey out for the toddler to take. Matt watched the interaction and watched as his son smiled when his hand grasped onto the stuffed monkey. Matt started softly stroking Vivian's hair to completely lull him to sleep while listening to Mason. 

"When I come home, what movie would you like to watch first?" Matt asked. "Cars!" Mason cheered and Matt grinned. "Of course. Since we missed so many movie nights, we'll just have to make them up all at once. And we'll build a huge fort and have lots of snacks. How does that sound Mace?" Mason's eyes lit up and he eagerly nodded. "That sounds awesome!" Matt softly laughed and relaxed back into his mattress. A few hours later, Cam noticed that Mason was constantly yawning. He decided it was time for them to go home and quietly announced it. "But I don't wanna go!" Mason protested sleepily. "Mace, it's okay. I'll still be here. You need to go home and get some sleep." Matt told him, and Mason reluctantly stood up. Cam helped Mason tie his shoes before turning back to the sleeping toddler. Matt pushed Vivian's soft brown hair back from his forehead, before letting Cam gently pick him up. When Vivian felt himself moving he clutched at whatever he could to keep himself with his dad. "Shh, it's okay Vivy." Matt whispered to calm his son. "We'll be back tomorrow Viv. We're just going to go home and sleep." Cam said soothingly, and the toddler released his grip on Matt. 

Cam held the toddler up against his shoulder, and Vivian curled his small arms around Cam's neck. "You guys are adorable." Matt said and Cam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever." "See you tomorrow." "See you mate." Cam noticed how tired Mason was and bent down to scoop him up. Mason yawned and rested his head on his dad's shoulder. Cam got both kids buckled into their car seats before he buckled his own seat belt and drove home. It was around ten when Cam parked his car in the garage and gently maneuvered both kids into the house. Toby met him at the door, Mason immediately reaching out for his mom. "Jay and the boys are all awake in Jay's room. Do you want to put Vivian in with Mason for the night?" Toby quietly asked as they started moseying down the hallway. "I think it's time for the entire house to go to bed, Jay and his friends included. They'll still be here until tomorrow afternoon." Toby nodded and slipped inside Mason's room. Cam softly knocked on Jay's bedroom door and his son told him to come in. "Hey boys, time for bed." "Awww!" All four kids complained and Jay's three friends climbed into their sleeping bags. 

"How's Uncle Matt?" Jay asked as Cam pulled the covers up to Jay's chin. "He's doing just fine. He missed seeing you and your mom, but he loved the cards you made him." Jay grinned and Vivian blinked his eyes open. "Daddy?" He asked as he looked around the dark room. "No buddy, it's Uncle Cam. It's time to go to sleep, and when you wake up we'll go see your dad again." Vivian sleepily nodded and Cam set him down on Jay's bed, the toddler immediately clinging to his best friend. Cam smiled wider as Jay wrapped his arms around the toddler to give him comfort. "Goodnight boys." Cam said as he left the bedroom. Four hours later, the silence was broken by Vivian waking up from a nightmare in a cold panic, causing Jay to wake up as well. "Vivy, what's wrong?" Jay whispered as he watched the toddler's eyes wildly dart around the room. 

Jay noticed that the toddler was panicking and tried to calm Vivian down like he'd seen his parents do in this situation. When Jay found he couldn't calm his best friend down, he did the only thing he could think of. Jay slipped off his bed and quickly ran to his parents room. "Dad! Dad!" Jay called out as he climbed onto his parent's bed. Cam slowly arose from slumber and sat up rubbing his eyes. "What is it Jay? Did something happen?" "Vivian had a nightmare and I can't calm him down." Jay jumped off the bed and scampered down the hallway, his dad following close behind. The other three boys in the room were awake and watching the toddler with wide eyes before Cam scooped the toddler up and out of the room. Toby had waken up from the disruption and noticed the four boys seemed scared. She sat down on Jay's bed and pulled her son onto her lap. 

"There's nothing to be afraid of. He just had a nightmare." The kids didn't seem reassured and Toby told them all to climb onto the bed and she'd read to them. So while Toby was reading to calm the four kids in Jay's room, Cam was in the living room trying to calm a hysterical Vivian down. "Shh, shh. You're okay, nothing's going to hurt you." Vivian's eyes kept darting around and the only way Cam could get Vivian to calm down was by sitting down in the rocking chair and reading to him. When the toddler had finally calmed down enough to stop flailing, Cam saw how wide his eyes were and how much water was running down his face. "Hey, what's wrong? Are you afraid of something?" Cam softly asked the toddler. Vivian shook his head and pulled at the blanket Cam had thrown across them. "Daddy." "Bubba, your dad is okay, I promise you." "Mother get him. She come here and try get me. Daddy make you take me away and she get Daddy in place of me." Vivian stuttered out. 

"Did anything else happen?" Vivian nodded, "Mother stay here for long time and keep after us. She not leave us alone until men in black take her and family away." "It's okay now bubba. Your mother is not here in Australia, and she will never lay her evil hands on you again, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that happens." Vivian nodded and he curled up into Cam's chest for comfort. Later that morning, Vivian wasn't as anxious. It wasn't until his hospital visit with Cam that sent his senses into overdrive. 

When the elevator clicked open to Matt's floor, the toddler and Cam advanced to the room. Cam pushed open the door, and the toddler ran inside as quickly as he could. Vivian scrambled onto Matt's lap and immediately buried himself in his dad's chest. Matt just grinned and wrapped his arms around his son, completely unaware of the previous night's events. "How's my baby?" Matt asked and Vivian gave him no response. Matt frowned and looked at Cam in question. "He had a nightmare. A really bad one. He was flailing and crying in hysterics, it was awful." "Oh? What was it about?" Matt asked, concern etched on his face. Cam explained what had scared Vivian and Matt's heart went out to his little son. He hugged Vivian a little tighter and a little over a half hour later the toddler was his happy self again. 

The three were talking and laughing like normal, when someone knocked on the door. Jake came in with a smile and walked over to the bed. "Just came to see how everything's doing." He said as he quickly checked Matt's vitals. "Matt, you have more visitors." "More?" Matt asked, and he looked at Cam with confusion. Cam shrugged his shoulders and sat up in his chair. Jake stepped out of the room and seconds later Matt's siblings Maxine and Michael came in with cheeky grins. "You thought you could hide your family from us, didn't you?" Michael asked and Matt's look of confusion deepened. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." Vivian had turned to look at them and Cam realized how tense the toddler looked. For some reason, Cam felt like Vivian was trying to warn them of something yet again. Before Cam could open up his mouth and say anything, a group of people walked into the room, led by an angry looking woman. Matt's eyes widened and he desperately tried to turn Vivian away, but it was too late. Vivian had seen the people, and he recognized the lead woman as his abuser. His mom, was here in Australia, here to live out his nightmare.


	9. Back In Black

Before anyone could do anything, Matt reached out for Cam. "Get Vivian out of here. Take him and leave the hospital. Don't let anyone take him, and don't let him out of your sight. Don't stop for anything or anyone. I'm serious, get the hell out of here." Cam quickly nodded and went to pick the toddler up. Vivian made noise in protest, and Matt quickly calmed his son. "It's alright. We'll be fine baby. I promise I'll see you soon." Matt kissed Vivian's head and let Cam pick the toddler up. Cam whisked the toddler from the hospital, not completely understanding what had just happened. Cam had luckily parked in the lot not seen from Matt's room, so he wouldn't have the risk of being tracked. When Cam parked in his garage, he took the toddler to the kitchen to talk to him. "Vivian...who were those people?" Cam softly asked the toddler. 

"Mother. She come back." Cam's mouth dropped open and he looked at the toddler in a new light. "Your dream predicted what was going to happen, and then you knew your mom was coming before she was there. That's amazing. I've never seen anything like that." Vivian just stared off into space and Cam sighed. "Buddy, I'm sorry this happened." "It not your fault Uncle Cam." "Just because it isn't my fault doesn't mean I'm not sorry for you. You are an incredibly bright young kid, and you've had a hard life at the age of three. Your mom showing up is going to put a wrench in the system, and for obvious reasons. Your dad told me not to let anyone take you. Do you have a reason why?" Cam asked. "The people with mother bad. Grandma and Grandpa take me away from Daddy back in Florida to serve people." "Serve people?" Cam asked and Vivian nodded.

"Want to take me to a place called Serbia to serve people." Cam's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "Who are the other two people?" "My old Aunt Jenny and Uncle Larry. They nasty people. Always telling Daddy how bad he is and how I should be theirs. Try to take me away from Daddy when he not watching." Cam suddenly realized why Matt hadn't called him by name. It was to protect his son and Cam and his family. Cam couldn't do much to help Matt, but he could do something to protect Vivian. "Okay. Vivian, we're going to do some things to try and get rid of those bad people. Are you with me?" The toddler nodded and they began the first part of Cam's plan.

Cam and Vivian went through Matt's house to make sure his nice things were well hidden before installing bars on all the windows, both outside and inside the house. Cam put multiple locks on the doors for extra strength as well as Matt's shed. Once Matt's house was taken care of, Cam gathered his family to tell them what was happening. "I don't want to do this, but this is the only way I can sleep at night knowing my family is safe. Tobes, I need you to take Jay and Mason out of Melbourne to New Zealand. Go to the family. They'll let you and the kids in, I'm the one that kicked them out, and I'll worry about that later. Take enough stuff to last for at least three weeks. When you go to the airport, take the car and park it with a whole bunch of other cars in the long term parking. I'll be getting a rental so those people won't track the car as easy. I also used my name on the tickets, so the three of you won't be named. I know this sounds like a lot, but I just want you all to be safe." 

"What about you Dad?" Mason cried. "Don't worry about me Mason, I'll be fine. I'm staying here to protect Matt and Vivian." It took about a million more reassurances, but Jay and Mason finally accepted what was happening. Cam had told them never to call each other by name until they returned to Australia. "Even if you call me or Matt, never address yourself or me by name until this is over." They worked out code names and knew Matt could catch on really quickly. Cam made sure to do the same procedure of locking his house the same way he had done to Matt's house. "Now, we should be safe, but just in case, don't stray too far from me, okay?" Vivian agreed, for he didn't want to be away from Cam to begin with. While all of this was going on, Matt was fighting his own battle with his ex-wife and her horrible family. As soon as Cam had left the hospital with Vivian, all hell broke loose. 

Maxine and Michael kept at their antics, claiming Matt was trying to hide from them, so they located his old family. Matt was horrified that his past was coming back to haunt him and he was the least bit relieved that Cam was smart and wouldn't let Vivian get harmed. "What? Were you trying to hide from them on the other side of the world?" Maxine yelled. "Actually, yes. You were missing for so long, you haven't known what the hell I've been through." "Oh yeah? Like what? We were tortured!" Michael shouted at Matt. "As a matter of fact, I was tortured as well. That woman you managed to bring back into my life is the whole reason why I was even in this coma. She ruined my life, and I left to salvage it and try to give my kid a good life." "Oh yeah? What did she do to you that was so bad?" "She's an abusive drunk." Matt answered, and his siblings laughed. Matt sighed and he moved his hand to hover over the nurse call button. 

"I'll press it, and have you all removed from my room. I moved here for a reason, and I'll tell you straight forward why. I moved here to escape all of you. Even Maxine and Michael. Your beings put such a burden on my life, I had to leave. I've been doing okay down here, and Vivian is much happier here because he feels safe. He doesn't have to worry about getting beaten to the point of unconsciousness here." Matt said, glaring at his ex-wife. "I don't know what you're talking about." She said innocently. "Well I do. You used our son as a punching bag, and when I found out about it, I was your second punching bag." His ex-wife snorted, "He couldn't even fight back he was so weak." "Of course I wouldn't fight back. I had the decency to not hit a woman!" Matt shouted. 

The longer they argued back and forth, the higher Matt's heart rate was climbing. Matt didn't hate anyone, but his ex-wife was an exception. She was a heartless woman because of alcohol and she deserved to be hated. Especially by the people she abused so heavily. "Why are you even here?" Matt asked. "We came to take you and Vivian home." "No. I'm not going, and you will certainly not lay your hands on my son ever again!" Matt hissed. "But he's our son." "He's not our son any longer! Vivian Hampton is my son, and no one else's. He doesn't deserve you as a mother!" "Oh yeah? Then who's his mother?" "He doesn't have one. He already has the love and support he needs without any of your help." "So you failed him just like we thought you would?" His ex-family all laughed and Matt clenched his fists. His heart monitor started beeping to alert the nurses he was getting anxious and Matt was more grateful than ever for that machine. His ex-family was ushered from the room as he was tended to. Once Matt's heart rate returned to normal and the nurses saw he wouldn't go back into a coma, he was allowed to make a phone call with some assistance from Jake the next day.

"Matt?" Cam's voice rang through the receiver and Matt sighed in relief. "Hi. How's everything going?" "So far so good. I've taken extra precautions to help get rid of these people by locking up our houses. Oh and my family left for our parents' houses." "Code names?" Matt asked, already catching on to the cover when Cam told him about the locks. "Yeah." "What are you? Jack?" "Yeah, how did you know?" "Vivian's favorite story is Jack and the Beanstalk. I just had a hunch. What about the others?" "Mary, Tweety, and Spike." Matt laughed, "Those are perfect. We'll have to talk more at the hospital, but if they don't leave, I'm moving again. You know that I love you guys like family, but I can't just stay here and let them at me again. They'll leave you alone if I leave, because they just want to hurt me." "What can I do to help?" 

"Just keep Vivian safe. He's still too young to protect himself, so just don't let him out of your sight, and I mean that literally. You have to keep him within at least three feet of you at all times until these people are taken care of. Because I kid you not, if they get their hands on Vivian, he's gone forever." Cam nodded. "Anything else I should know?" "They'll do anything to hurt me. So if anything really bad happens, things like name calling or insults or even physical violence, don't worry about me. I can handle a beating, but I don't want them to lay their hands on Vivian ever again. I'd let them hit me over my son any day. So just let it happen, okay? Just keep yourself and my kid safe." 

"Matt," "No, Jack. I'm dead serious. These people are dangerous and if hitting me gives them enough satisfaction to leave my kid alone, I can handle it." "Matt, that isn't safe." "Does it look like I care about myself at this point? Jack, I tried to kill myself when I realized I couldn't give my son a good life. What's one more terrible thing going to do?" "Matt, I can't let you do that." "Jack, they're going to stop at nothing. If they don't do something to me, they're going to target Vivian because he can't protect himself. I can handle this, I promise. You can keep bringing Vivian to the hospital like normal, but we have to be extra cautious." "I've got a rental car so they can't track my actual car." 

"Oh good. I see you've taken a lot of precautions so your family is safe." "Of course. I want everyone to be safe." "I really hope everything works out for your sake." "What's that supposed to mean?" Cam asked, but Matt had already hung up. The next day at the hospital, everything was back to normal. Matt's ex-family didn't show up at all and Matt was able to fill Cam in on everything that had happened so far. "What did you mean last night?" "Hmm?" Matt asked as he continued to keep most of his attention on his son. "You said you hoped everything worked out my sake. What did you mean by that?" 

"Cam, things aren't going to be normal until they're gone, and I'm willing to do almost anything it takes. If for some reason this puts me in danger, it should save Vivian and the rest of my family, you included." "I've got to hand it to you Matt. You've got the biggest heart in the whole world. I know I'm not an expert at this, but even though Vivian is your number one priority, you've got to think about yourself once in a while too. Self-hatred can't be healthy, especially for you. You've been through so much, and you need to care about yourself, at least a little bit." Matt sighed and he nodded. "I suppose you're right. But I'll always have an issue comprehending it." "When this ordeal is over, we can look into a counselor if you'd like." Matt nodded and the hospital visit went by without any interruptions. They continued with peaceful hospital visits until a week later when Matt's ex-family came to terrorize him again.

The hospital security had to actually remove Matt's ex-family out of the hospital from all the commotion they caused. "Matt, are you okay buddy?" Jake asked him once they were alone. Matt released his breath and relaxed his posture. "I'll be fine." "Are you sure? That was some pretty harsh stuff your family was saying." "They aren't my family." "What? I thought-" "They're my ex-family. Even my biological brother and sister. They aren't family. Family doesn't hit family." Jake was quiet for a moment and Matt shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I'll be fine." But a few days later, he wasn't fine. 

His ex-family had come to the hospital again, and this time they gave Matt more than hateful words. Cam and Vivian came to the hospital hours later and Vivian immediately knew something was wrong as soon as they stepped off the elevator. He started squirming in Cam's arms and the blonde looked down to see what was wrong. "What's wrong Squirt?" "Something wrong with Daddy." "What do you mean by that?" "Daddy hurt." When Cam opened the door to Matt's room, the toddler started crying. "Daddy!" Vivian cried out and wriggled to be set down. Cam set him down on Matt's bed, and the toddler kept crying out for his dad. "Shh, I'm fine Viv. I'm right here." Vivian shook his head as Matt wrapped him up in an embrace. "You lying." Vivian cried out and Cam watched his best friend deny the accusation again. Cam didn't see anything wrong with Matt but then he noticed the stiff and careful way Matt moved. 

"Viv, I'm fine. Nothing happened to me while you were gone." "You lie again! Mother here and she hurt you." Vivian kept crying and Matt couldn't deny it any longer. He dropped his head and Cam's heart caught in his throat. "Matt? Did she hit you?" "I told you not to worry about it." Matt said. "Matt, if you've been hurt you can't just expect me to sit by and watch you take it." "I'm afraid you'll have to. It's going to happen regardless if you try and stop it." "You said it safe here." Vivian whimpered as his dad hugged him as tight as he could. "I told you it was safe here for you Viv. I didn't lie." "Daddy, you get hurt. That not safe." "You shouldn't worry about me. It's my job to worry about you." "You can't just get hurt all the time!" Vivian protested as he wiped at his big brown eyes. Matt sighed and Cam ruffled the toddler's hair. 

"Matt, I know you don't want anyone to worry about you or even take care of you, but Vivian is right. If you don't worry about yourself, you'll never leave this hospital and you'll never be able to function and raise your son." Matt sighed again but slowly nodded. "Matt, just let us take care of you for once. I know you won't like it, but we want to see you get better. When you get better, I swear we'll help you turn your life around." "Like what?" "We'll help you find a job you really like, and find your balance just like you did for us." Matt was quiet for a moment before he nodded. "Okay." "You trust me then?" "Of course I trust you. I've trusted you since the day I met you." Cam smiled before nodding. "Good. Then will you let me take care of you for once?" Matt sighed in defeat and nodded. Cam gently hugged his best friend and sat down in the chair next to Matt's bed. 

Later that day, Matt's bosses and co-workers came into visit. Vivian was his usual shy self around all the strange people, but he noticed his dad was relaxed around them. Vivian didn't know any of these people and he was getting anxious before Cam pushed his stuffed monkey into his grasp. The toddler smiled and grasped his monkey in a hug, finding a sense of security in it. Cam ruffled his hair and said he'd be back in a few minutes to go use the bathroom. Matt made sure to keep Vivian closer to him whenever Cam left, just in case anything did happen. A few minutes later, Cam seemed to speed walk in and stand close to Matt's hospital bed. Matt turned his attention to his best friend and was about to question him when Cam shook his head to quiet him. "Down the hallway." "What about the hallway?" Matt asked, pulling his son further into his arms. "They're down the hallway, with a bunch of people wearing black suits."


	10. I Will Surive

Matt's mouth dropped while Matt's visitors were extremely confused. "I can't believe this. They can't do this! They aren't even citizens of Australia!" Matt protested, his heart rate starting to rise. "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves Matt. Maybe they aren't who we think they are." Matt nodded, and the door squeaked open a second later. "Matthew Hampton?" A man with hard eyes asked. Matt's heart caught in his throat and he weakly nodded. As soon as the group had walked in, Matt's worst fears were confirmed. Child Protective Services, or rather CPS, was standing in his hospital room with threatening looks on their faces. "Matthew Hampton, we've been informed that you aren't a good father for your son." Matt rapidly shook his head and Vivian started catching on to what was happening. "No! No take me from Daddy!" He cried out and huddled into Matt's chest.

"I haven't done anything wrong! You can't just take him without probable cause!" Matt said, his heart rate starting to rise again. "Mr. Hampton, we've been called by your hysterical wife who claims you're crazy and abusive towards her and your son." "That isn't true! I've never laid hands on anyone in my life!" Matt said and Vivian started to curl up into him, a sure sign he was going to start panicking. Matt tried to help his son feel relaxed, and by that time Matt's co-workers were trying to leave. The CPS workers let them leave after writing their names down. Once the room was mostly cleared out, the CPS workers turned to Matt once again. "Mr. Hampton, we're going to have to take your son." "No! I won't let you! Vivian is safer with me than he ever was with my ex-wife! She's a monster in an innocent disguise!" Matt cried out. 

"Sir, I'm afraid you don't have a choice in this matter." "Yes I do! Vivian is my son, and I'm the only blood-related family he has!" Matt's ex-wife, Rachel, looked shocked and hurt as she turned to the CPS workers. "I'm so sorry you have to see this side of him." "What are you talking about?" Matt said. "You know exactly what I mean Matthew. You're always drinking and coming home to use me and our son as practice for your boxing matches!" Rachel cried out in fake hysterics. "Sir, please just let us have the child." "No." Matt said and Vivian began whimpering. He had started to shake violently and Cam was suddenly hit with the reminder of last Christmas when his family had been verbally attacking the two of them. Matt had hightailed it out of the house, saying that he needed to take Vivian home. Cam doubled back like he had been slapped. Vivian was reacting to this situation like he had last year at Christmas, and if he wasn't calmed down Cam didn't know what would happen. 

As Matt kept arguing with CPS, Vivian continued to silently panic, until he saw Rachel and the CPS workers moving towards the hospital bed. Vivian jumped at Matt and tried to hide against his chest. "Daddy, she going to get us again!" Vivian cried out, his monkey flying off the bed at Cam's feet. Matt wrapped his arms around Vivian and tangled a hand in his hair to try and soothe him. "Shh. Baby, these people aren't here to hurt us." "She wanna hurt me again! Wanna use me for practice!" "She won't ever touch you again, I promise." Matt whispered to his son as he continued stroking his hair. Vivian kept flailing against Matt, and he was visibly trying to hold back tears from how exhausted he was. Matt knew the only thing to get these people away was to get his nurses in his room. So before anyone could advance further, Matt slammed his hand down on the nurse call button.

All of the visitors in the room except for Cam and Vivian were flushed out within a few seconds. As the nurses were checking Matt out, Vivian had been handed off to Cam, who had taken it upon himself to calm the toddler down. Cam remembered that reading always worked, but he didn't have a book around him. Luckily, Cam had read Jack and the Beanstalk to Vivian so many times he had it memorized. Cam sat down in the corner with the frightened toddler and softly began telling him the story. Before Cam even finished, the toddler had fallen asleep curled up on his lap. By the time the nurses were leaving, Matt had fallen asleep from exhaustion just like Vivian. Cam stood up cradling the toddler with one arm and crossed the room to grab Vivian's monkey before leaving with the nurses. Rachel and the CPS workers weren't even paying attention to him as they were in the middle of a heated argument. Cam was able to leave, and he waited until he was in his rental car and out of the parking lot to sigh in relief. 

By the time Rachel noticed that Vivian was gone, she carried on with her fake act. "You have to get my son away from here! His father is in the hospital because he's a deranged alcoholic!" "Ma'am, we're doing our best." "You've got to hurry before my son gets killed!" "Don't worry Ma'am. We'll get everything sorted out." They found Matt asleep in his bed and noticed all of the nurses were tense around Rachel. The CPS workers asked Rachel to leave, and she reluctantly left the hospital. After she was gone, the nurses that had all attended to Matt were questioned, including Jake. The CPS workers noticed that Jake seemed off when he was questioned. "Mr. Hill, is there something you aren't telling us?" The woman, Ms. LeBlanc from CPS asked. "Well, to be honest, I'm not so sure I trust this Rachel woman." "Could you elaborate sir?" "She just showed up not too long ago from the States, and she's making Mr. Hampton very anxious. Every time she shows her face around here, she scares little Vivian and Mr. Hampton's heart rate shoots through the roof. To the best of my knowledge, Rachel and Matthew are divorced because Rachel was the abusive alcoholic." 

"That's interesting." "That's just what I've witnessed. She was never here when Matthew was first admitted to the hospital a few months ago. Vivian refused to be separated from his dad, and he's been here every single day since Matthew first overdosed." "Mr. Hill, could you tell us exactly why Mr. Hampton is in the hospital?" "Yes, of course. Matthew overdosed on a drug called Modafinil, which makes the person taking it appear more awake and decreases the urge to sleep. His system was also malnourished and overworked." "Malnourished?" "With all due respect Ma'am, you have to be blind to not see how unhealthy that man and his son are." This time the other CPS worker, a man named Mr. Prescott, spoke. "Unhealthy?" "You have to be blind to not see that Matthew and his son are so thin and malnourished. I've never seen one child be able to eat so much at once, but never gain anything. Vivian is such a wonderful child, and I've never once seen him unhappy around his father. Matthew may not be stable, but I've never in my life seen a person with such a big heart. Matthew loves his son with all his heart, and I'm positive that he has never laid a wrong hand on little Vivian." 

"Would you happen to know who is taking care of the child?" "I'm sorry but I'm afraid that's confidential information." "Could you at least confirm that it was the tall blonde man in the room earlier today?" "Yes, he is taking care of Vivian." "Is he at all related to Mr. Hampton." "No. Matthew and Vivian do not have any blood relatives as far as I know." "Thank you for your time, Mr. Hill." Jake nodded and continued on with his work. "Let's track down this guy who is taking care of the child." Mr. Prescott told Ms. LeBlanc and she nodded. The two were then able to access camera footage as far back as December and watched all of the footage taken since then. From watching that, they were able to discover that the man taking care of Vivian, was named Cameron. From there, the police helped them find Matt's address. Once the two arrived at Matt's house, they immediately noticed that it was locked and barricaded everywhere. They noticed the house next door was also locked in the same way. When no one answered the door at Matt's house, they inspected a little further to discover no one had been there in weeks. 

They questioned a neighbor, and their suspicions were confirmed. "Matt hasn't been home in a few months. The poor thing has been so tired from working so much. Half the time little Vivian is always next door with the other little boys because his dad is working until late afternoon." "Could you possibly tell us what the neighbor's name is?" "Cameron McKay is the father of the two little boys that live on the other side of Matt." "Thank you Ma'am." "Anytime." So the two walked to Cam's house and rang the doorbell. Vivian, who was playing in the living room, froze and anxiously looked up to Cam. Cam rose from the couch and scooped the toddler up before slowly moving towards the door. Cam had Vivian settled on his hip as he looked through the peep hole and held back a swear. "It's those CPS workers." Cam said quietly and Vivian tensed up. "It's alright buddy, they aren't going to take you. They probably just want to talk." "Don't let them get me." Vivian whimpered and Cam ruffled his hair. "I won't buddy. I promise they won't take you." Cam said and opened up the door part way to reveal the CPS workers.

"Hello Mr. McKay. You might recognize us from the hospital." "Vaguely." Cam answered. "May we come in?" "Is there something you need?" "We're here to talk about the custody of Vivian Hampton." "Only to talk?" Cam asked defensively. "Yes. We're trying to piece together the situation. We just want to talk, nothing more, nothing less." Cam's shoulders dropped in relief and he opened the door to let the pair into his house. "Why don't you have a seat?" Cam said politely. The CPS workers turned around and saw that Vivian was clinging to Cam and looked absolutely terrified. "Is he alright?" Ms. LeBlanc asked. Cam glanced down at the toddler and nodded. "He just doesn't do well with strangers. Especially strangers that threatened to take him away from his dad." "Well, we aren't here today to take anyone away. We just want more information to determine what to do." "Have you talked to Matt?" "No, he hasn't been available to talk." "I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but I don't feel comfortable talking without Matt present." "And why is that?" 

"Vivian is Matt's son. We're not even related by blood, so I can't just hand out information that might be false. It's not really my place to tell you everything that happened." The CPS workers looked at each other and sighed. "Then, would you please accompany us to the hospital so we can all talk?" "I suppose that would be okay." As Cam went to get Vivian new clothes, the pair sitting in the living room observed Cam's house. "There's evidence of more than one kid being here." Ms. LeBlanc stated as she picked up a hoodie laying on a chair that obviously wouldn't fit Vivian. "I wouldn't be surprised. It wouldn't be considered normal for one man to have a decent sized house all to himself." "Do suppose the other kids are his?" "I couldn't say for sure. If so, where would they be?" "You don't think something happened to them, do you?" "I wouldn't think so. Mr. McKay obviously cares about children." "Indeed, but what if he doesn't have any of his own kids?" "I hate to break up this little social gathering," Cam interrupted, "But my family is my own business. My children are with their mother someplace safe, away from all this crappy stuff happening now." 

The pair looked worried, like Cam would be terribly angry with them but he just sighed."Let's just get this over with. You're probably the key to get some problem people where they belong." "What is that supposed to mean?" "Don't worry about it." So the four of them climbed into their separate cars, Cam not knowing the rental car he was driving had been bugged. "Uncle Cam?" Vivian asked out of the blue. "Yes buddy?" "Is Daddy going to get taken?" "Why do you ask that?" "Mother show up with bad family and people in black and say she going to get us." "Oh buddy, your mother isn't going to take your Dad away. If those people in black don't take care of your old family, different people will help." "She want to take us back to Flora." 

"That may be true, but she's not going to. Even though your dad is confined to the hospital right now, he loves you more than anything in this world. He uprooted his entire life just so you could be safe buddy. Your dad won't let anything bad happen to you, and I won't either. While I'm taking care of you, no one's going to be able to take you away from your real family, I promise." "I miss Jay and Mason." "I know, I miss them too. They'll be back before you know it, but they can't come back with your old family here." "Why?" Vivian asked. "Because it's too dangerous for them. Your Aunt, Jay, and Mason could get hurt or something worse because of our relation to your father." "Daddy want to leave." "Of course he does. Think about it Viv. The same fear of your mother that you have, your dad has as well. Your mother is a harmful person, and if we weren't careful, she could hurt more than just you and your dad. Do you understand?" Vivian nodded and clutched his stuffed monkey a little tighter. 

In traffic ahead of them, the CPS workers had heard the entire conversation and their mouths dropped open as they began to comprehend things. When they pulled up to the hospital, the pair watched as Cam unbuckled the toddler and balanced him on his hip. "Shall we head up?" "I don't care what you guys do. I was planning on coming in with Viv anyway." Cam said and disappeared into the hospital. The pair followed soon after and found Vivian wrapped up in Matt's arms. "Did you sleep okay last night?" Matt asked as Vivian curled into him. "Scary dreams." "You had some nightmares?" Matt asked and Vivian nodded. "Mother hurt us again." "Oh, baby, that will never happen to you again. I know she's here now, but she won't be here forever. And if she doesn't leave, we'll just find someplace else to live." 

"Uncle Cam?" Vivian said softly, turning to the blonde man sitting in the chair next to them. "Yes buddy?" "You say you take care of mother?" "I did say something like that, yes." "You don't have to do that." "Yes I do, Matt." Cam said sitting up in the chair. "That woman scarred you physically, mentally, and emotionally. You've been in the hospital for almost two months because you overdosed on an anti-sleep drug because you were worried sick over being a good enough Dad. And let me tell you Matt, I have two kids of my own, and you're doing an amazing job. You can't just let things keep crumbling in on top of you. Not if we can help it. I told Vivian I'd take care of Rachel, and I fully intend on it. If CPS won't take her away, then I'm sure the police of Australia would love to contact the United States and have her taken away. This woman committed crimes and she's getting away with it. Getting this woman away from you two is the only option at this point." 

Matt gave his best friend a genuine smile and Cam's face lit up. "There. That's the smile we've all been missing for a long time!" Cam hugged his best friend and kept grinning. "Hey!" Vivian protested and both adults looked at him. "What is it Viv?" "I wanna hug too!" He exclaimed with a pout. Both adults laughed, and the toddler was given two hugs. At that moment, the CPS workers appeared into the room. Everyone's smile dropped and Matt drew Vivian close to him again. "We're only here to talk Mr. Hampton. We tried talking to Mr. McKay earlier, but he refused to talk without your presence." Matt nodded and watched as the pair sat down. Once Matt forced out a shortened version of his past, CPS decided to leave them alone. "However, since Ms. Hampton called in-" "Don't call her that." Matt said. "What?" "Don't call my ex-wife, Ms. Hampton. She is in no way associated with me any longer, and she was the one to change her last name back to her maiden name while we were still married." 

"Alright. Since Ms. Clarke reported this, we may still have to collect evidence for our boss, so he can clear your name." Matt nodded and he deeply sighed. "When did my life become so crappy?" He asked to no one in particular as he stared up at the ceiling. Cam patted Matt's shoulder and watched as the CPS workers filed out from the room. "What proof could they possibly be looking for? Do they think I'm just making this all up?" "No, I think they believe you. But I'm sure they just have to run it past their boss if they're not going to take Vivian." "I just want this all to be over with. I just want to get my life back together." "That's good to hear. Getting your health back is the first step." Matt nodded and tangled a hand in Vivian's hair to lull the toddler to sleep. A few days later, the CPS workers showed up to Cam's house again to take them in for evidence. Half an hour later, they were standing in an enclosed hospital room with different doctors, a few policemen, the CPS workers plus their boss, and Rachel and her family. Cam was instructed to stay back for the moment as things were getting ready to prove the evidence of Matt's innocence. 

As Vivian was rested on Cam's hip, he glanced around at all the strange people. A few minutes later, the CPS workers came over to Cam and explained they need to take Vivian to prove that Matt was telling the truth. "What are you going to do? I promised not to let Vivian more than a few feet away from me." "He won't be taken by anyone, there are plenty of authorities here to make sure Rachel and her family behave. He'll just be taken to the middle of the room." Cam then spent some time explaining to Vivian what was going to happen. Vivian didn't noticeably panic as Ms. LeBlanc took him to the middle of the room and set him down on a stool. "What's happening?" Cam asked as Mr. Prescott started pushing him backwards until he was out of Vivian's line of sight. Ms. LeBlanc came back towards their blocked off corner and informed Cam they were testing how well Vivian reacted to being in the same room with his abusive family without someone he trusted present. "Vivian doesn't know any of those other people in there, so he's going to have natural reactions." Cam nodded and prayed that Vivian would be safe. 

A few minutes later, Rachel and her family were placed right next to the toddler. As Rachel went to grab her son for a hug, she was stopped by an officer. When the officer moved, it caused Vivian to look up and see the people that tortured him. Vivian didn't react right away, but when he realized that it wasn't a dream, he started screaming. The toddler shied away from his mother and curled into a ball. When Rachel went to wrap him up in an embrace, Vivian leapt off the bench and started calling for his dad. When he was told his dad was gone, Vivian's panic level rose and he started wailing. He hated his mother and her family and he wanted out. He didn't know what had happened to Cam either, and finally he decided on running into a corner in an attempt to hide. When his old family followed, Vivian did anything he could to get away. "No hurt me! I didn't do it! No wood!" Vivian's PTSD was kicking in and he was on the verge of actually losing it. A few more minutes into the test, and the adults in the room felt compassion towards the small child who was deathly afraid of his family.

Finally, the CPS workers pushed Cam into view again and Vivian cried out in relief. He whimpered as he ran at Cam and begged for protection. Cam picked the toddler up and watched as Vivian buried his face into his shoulder. Vivian's arms wrapped around Cam's neck and his heart throbbed in sadness. Why were they putting this kid through something so awful? Rachel and her family were still present in the room when Cam was asked to set Vivian back on the stool minutes later. "And why should I do that? Wasn't that scene enough proof for you? This kid is literally shaking because he's terrified of them." "We just have to run another test to make sure." Cam rolled his eyes in disbelief and pried Vivian off of him to set him down on the floor. Vivian started whimpering and reached back out for Cam but was swept off the floor and placed back onto the stool. When Vivian looked up again, Cam was gone. 

A few minutes later, Matt came stumbling into the room, assisted by the strange doctors that had been present in the room. Matt crouched down on the floor and Vivian sensed his dad's presence. He turned around on the stool, and everyone watched as the child's face lit up upon seeing his dad. He jumped off the stool and ran into his dad's open arms. Matt smiled into his son's hair and slightly wobbled on his feet. He hadn't walked in almost two months, so he was struggling to stay balanced. Matt looked at his son and saw how terrified he was. "What happened? You look scared out of your mind." "T-They said t-that you had g-gone and Mother was t-the only one h-here." Vivian stuttered out as he wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. "Well, I'm here now, and there's nothing to worry about." Matt hugged his son again and Vivian wrapped his arms around his dad's neck for comfort. "I've seen enough of a reaction, but what about the scars? Young Mr. Hampton kept repeating the phrase, no wood, over and over again. What does that mean?" The CPS boss, Mr. Jordan, asked. Matt looked up at the man and let go of his son to stand back up with assistance.

"The phrase no wood?" Mr. Jordan nodded and Matt shook his head. "Rachel used to hit him with blocks of wood." "And why didn't you stop her?" "You think I didn't try and stop her? Who do you people think you are? Vivian is the only family I have, and I love him more than anything! The only reason why I'm in this damn hospital is because I overdosed to make more money for food! All I've been hearing since I came out of my coma is that I'm malnourished and so is my son! The only reason why I overworked myself is so I could give Vivian the love and care he couldn't get from two parents. My best friend is practically like his parent instead of his actual mother!" Matt exclaimed, his voice cracking during parts of his speech. 

"And another thing. I tried to stop that evil woman from hurting my son. I tried and I failed because she ended up abusing me as well. If I could've stopped her from abusing my son to begin with and taken his beatings, I would've. I would do anything for Vivian, even if it meant overworking myself into a drug induced coma. He deserves a better father, but I proved them all wrong. They all told me I'd fail him, and that he'd up dead and that he'd never be happy. But Vivian is very much alive and well. And he's happy. He has friends here, and a loving Aunt and Uncle who would do anything for him. So if you can stand here and let all of those evil people get away with murder, I can't even look at you." The room stayed quiet for a moment before Mr. Jordan moving to stand in front of Matt. "You say young Mr. Hampton was hit with wood?" Matt nodded. "She used plenty of other things, but the thing that left the most damage is the wood." "Prove it." Matt gritted his teeth together and he slowly nodded. 

"Vivy, can you show the people your scars?" Vivian nodded at his dad before pulling his shirt up to reveal the mess of scars littered all over his chest and back. "Is that...is that a scar shaped like a block of wood?" "What? Did you think I was kidding?" "That's horrifying." "Oh yeah? Well you can thank those monsters standing in that corner over there. I've got a mess of my own scars, but Vivian was hurt more than I ever was. Oh and by the way, they aren't even Native Australian. They did all of this back in the United States, where we're all from. Can I go back to my room now?" A few court cases later, Rachel and her family was being taken back to the United States to be put into prison and restraining orders were placed on the lot of them.


	11. Say You Won't Let Go

A week after Rachel and her family had gone, Cam and Vivian had spent time cleaning Matt's house and taking all the bars and locks off. "Look what I did!" Vivian exclaimed from the living room. Cam had the parental instincts to continue keeping a close eye on the toddler but he grinned when he saw what Vivian had been doing. "That's wonderful buddy. We should leave it just like that so your dad can see your artwork." Vivian beamed with pride and turned to look back at his piece of art. He had arranged all of the pillows from the couch and chair in a perfect pyramid formation. "Hey buddy, let's get going. It's almost your bedtime and we've still got to call your aunt." Vivian eagerly pushed himself up from the floor and pulled on his jacket. "Let's go!" Cam laughed as the toddler climbed onto his shoulders. Cam locked Matt's backdoor before heading back into his own house. "Okay, go get ready for bed and then we can call Toby." "Okay!" Vivian said as he ran down the hallway to get his pajamas on. 

A few minutes later Vivian found Cam in the living room already talking to Toby. "Aunt Toby!" Vivian called out as he jumped onto Cam. Cam laughed as Vivian settled onto his lap with his stuffed monkey. "Hey bubba! How are you doing?" Toby asked and Vivian beamed at his aunt, "Well now, this is a rare sight. You look so happy." "Mother gone! She gone forever!" "Your mother is gone forever?" Toby asked in confusion before Cam cleared his throat, "She and her family are going to be in prison for a while and a restraining order was placed on all of them." "That's awesome! How's Matt doing?" "He's getting better. He was actually walking with some assistance last week. I was waiting to see you in person to fill you in on everything." "Alright, sounds good. What else is new with you bubba?" Toby asked the toddler. "I built blocks!" "Oh? How was that?" "It was fun! Uncle Cam also teach me how to use adult lang-" Vivian was cut off by Cam putting his hand over the toddler's mouth. "I taught him how to clean!" The blonde quickly said. 

Vivian looked up at his uncle in confusion. "You promised you wouldn't say anything." Cam whispered to the toddler. Vivian just giggled and curled in on himself when Cam started to tickle him. "You traitor!" Cam said with a smile. "How are the boys?" Cam asked a few minutes later. "They missed Melbourne for the first couple of days, but then they settled in quite nicely with the family. Unfortunately you were correct about them." "Oh? Which part?" Cam asked as he watched the toddler curl up on his chest, slumber beginning to creep up on him. "Everyone is angry with you." Cam shrugged his shoulders and started brushing a hand through Vivian's hair to lull him to sleep. "What can you do? As long as they aren't angry with you or the kids, I can handle anything after going through this ordeal." Toby smiled and nodded. "So, it sounds like we can come home now?"

"Within the next couple of days I'd say. I've got to finish cleaning up both our house and Matt's house. At least I have a little helper. He's been so much happier since his old family was taken back to the United States. Although, it was harsh to witness the tests CPS put him through?" "Woah, woah, woah. CPS?" "Did I forget to mention that Rachel called CPS trying to get Vivian taken away from Matt? They heard Matt's story and put Vivian through some awful tests to make sure that he wasn't lying. Tobes, it was the worst thing I've ever endured. Vivian was screaming and crying and calling out for Matt to come save him. When CPS told him that Matt was gone, that kid just broke. When they let me in there with him, he clung onto me like I was his lifeline. That woman ruined this three year old kid's spirit." "That's terrible! What else happened?" Toby asked, her heart melting at the thought of Vivian being terrified because of his own mother. 

"They let me calm him down for a few minutes before they brought Matt into the room. I've never seen Vivian so happy to see Matt, but CPS wanted proof of scars. Then after that, a few court sessions happened, and the family was taken back to the U.S." Toby nodded, but then confusion clouded her gaze. "What? Is something wrong?" "Cam, you said Vivian was three." "Yeah, he's three. His birthday is the same day as Matt's, February twenty-fourth." "Cam, it's March second." "What? No. It can't be." Cam said. Toby nodded, and Cam quickly checked the date on his phone. "How? That can't be possible. That would mean that you guys have been in New Zealand for almost a month." "Indeed we have Cam. You've just been so busy and cautious time hasn't caught up with you." "We missed Vivian and Matt's birthdays." "As soon as Matt is healthy and out of the hospital, we'll celebrate their birthdays." "I can't believe I didn't notice what month it was." "It's alright Cam. Anyone would have done it in this situation." 

The couple talked for a few more minutes before Toby left to get some sleep. A few days later, Cam had gotten both houses clean with help from Vivian. Cam didn't know when Toby and his kids would be back, so he was just waiting out the days like he had for the past few months. Almost two weeks after Matt and Vivian's family had been gone, Vivian had the worst nightmare he'd ever experienced in his four years of living. Ever since Cam's family had left, Vivian had chosen to sleep next to Cam, because it gave him a sense of security. When Vivian went to sleep, he started reliving all of his worst nightmares from his early childhood, but it was more cruel and gruesome. So when the toddler awoke screaming, Cam knew it must've been bad. But when the screaming didn't stop, the blonde snapped up and looked around in the dark for the toddler. 

The visions weren't stopping and Vivian wanted out. He didn't know where he was going but he had scrambled out of Cam's bed and fumbled to get the door open. The dim lighting of the hallway hit Cam's eyes and he immediately took off after the toddler. He managed to stop Vivian in the hallway, and he noticed how wide Vivian's eyes were. "Hey, what happened?" Cam asked as he knelt down. Vivian couldn't form words and as one of his visions with his mom laid out in his head, he slammed back into the wall. Cam didn't know what to do, but he knew he couldn't panic. He gently grabbed the toddler and held him in one spot. "Buddy, calm down. Can you tell me what's happening?" "No wood! No wood!" Vivian cried out as he buckled. It took three seconds for it to click in Cam's brain that Vivian was seeing things from his past. "No! Don't hurt Daddy!" Vivian cried out weakly. Vivian dug his palms into his eyes and Cam pulled them down so he wouldn't hurt himself. 

"Buddy, buddy, relax. Your dad is okay. No one's here to hurt you." Vivian continued jerking around and he couldn't seem to place who Cam was. "Vivian, Vivian, buddy, please. No one is here to hurt you. Your mother is gone. She'll never hurt you again. Your dad is fine." Cam tried reading to him, he tried turning on the tv, and he even tried getting a hold of Matt. Nothing worked to help distract the toddler. Vivian had realized that Cam was there, but he still couldn't get rid of the visions. They were back to kneeling on the floor in the hallway again, and Cam was desperately pleading with the toddler to calm him down. He told him stories of happy things and he even attempted telling him stories of monkeys. "Make them stop! Make them stop!" Vivian yelled out right as Toby, Mason, Jay, and both sets of families entered in through the garage. "Make it stop! Make it stop!" Vivian cried out louder than before. 

He continued to try and press his palms into his eyes but Cam refused to let that happen. "Buddy, please calm down. No one is here to hurt you. Those scary people in black are gone and so is your mother. It's just you and me here Squirt, I promise. No one is here to get you. Your mother is just a hallucination created by your imagination. Your mother isn't ever going to be seen again." Vivian was very slowly calming down but his visions kept getting more and more vivid. "Cameron McKay!" Someone shouted and that sent Vivian back into hysterics. "She's gonna get me! She's gonna get me!" Vivian cried out and started shuddering. Cameron turned his head and groaned. "Not now!" He quickly turned his attention back to the toddler and noticed his shaking getting worse. Cam swore and he quickly ran back into his bedroom to grab Vivian's stuffed monkey and his handmade blanket Matt had made. He hurriedly came back to the toddler and wrapped the blanket around him, letting the toddler breathe in the scent of the blanket. Vivian's small fingers gripped onto the blanket before Cam pushed the stuffed monkey into his arms.

When Vivian still didn't calm down Cam swore again until he finally decided to try something that would appear mean, but would hopefully bring the toddler to his senses. Cam scooped the bundle up and rushed into the kitchen. Cam sighed, but he knew he had to do this. Cam took Vivian's blanket off and splashed cold water on his face. He knew it wasn't practical, but he needed to help Vivian get out of his living nightmare. Thankfully his tactic worked and the toddler came out from his visions with a painful cry. He leaped at Cam, and the blonde was luckily able to catch him in time. As Vivian cried into Cam's shoulder, he rested one hand against the toddler's head and the other rubbed at the toddler's back to soothe him. 

When Cam heard footsteps on the kitchen tile, he automatically assumed it was Toby. "Tobes, can you call Matt?" When he didn't get an answer, he slowly turned around and noticed that it was a few of his angry relatives. Cam could tell they were about to scream at him, but he softly told them not to. "Where's Toby?" Cam whispered. "In Jay's room with your actual kids." Cam didn't pay any attention to their harsh words and slowly walked down the hallway after wrapping Vivian up in his blanket. He softly rapped his knuckles on Jay's bedroom door and he slowly entered the room. Jay and Mason were passed out on Jay's bed, sleeping quite peacefully despite what had just happened. Toby saw Cam and slowly pushed him out into the hallway. "What the hell just happened?" She asked, and Cam heard the hurt in her voice. 

"He woke up screaming, and he didn't stop. This was worse than two weeks ago when all of the CPS stuff happened. I wasn't expecting him to have visions of his...encounters with his mother." Toby's mouth dropped open and she shook her head. "Poor little thing." "I want to call Matt and see if he'll answer. I think it will do Vivy some good to hear his dad's voice." Toby nodded and they walked into the kitchen to sit down at the table. Toby used Cam's phone to call Matt, and after a couple of rings, Matt finally picked up. "Cam? Why are you calling me so early in the morning?" Asked a very groggy Matt. "It's about Vivian." Matt shot up in his bed and he was instantly alert. "Why? What happened? Is he okay? Did he get hurt?" 

"He's okay now. He just had a nightmare, and he kept seeing visions from his past. I thought it would help him feel better if he heard your voice." Cam said softly. "Vivian? Vivy, baby, are you alright?" The toddler's voice didn't work for a moment, but then his small voice answered, "I guess." His voice was so tiny and strained that it actually hurt to hear. Cam started messing with Vivian's hair to relax him again. "How did he get out of it?" "I tried everything Matt. I did everything I normally do to calm him from a nightmare, but this time was different. I'm not proud of it, but I had to splash cold water on him to snap him out of it." "You don't need to be proud of it. I'm just glad you got him out of it before he did anything worse." "Anything worse? You mean this has happened before?" Cam asked in disbelief. "Only when he gets really worked up. Like at the Christmas party last year. He was about to have really bad flashbacks then too. The worst stage when that happens is he attempts to hurt himself enough so he focuses on the pain instead of the visions." "That's awful." 

"I know it is, which is why I'm glad he didn't do it. The only ways I've ever been able to get him out of it is by putting either Vanilla or Garlic underneath his nose. Just in case it happens again, the food method won't make you feel as bad as the water one." "Good to know. Tobes and the kids are home." "That's great! Do you think they'd want to come and visit me? It gets boring just seeing your ugly face everyday." "Hey!" Cam protested and Matt laughed, "I'm only kidding. Seeing your face everyday is a relief." Cam smiled before Toby spoke up. "I'm sure the kids would love to see you again. And Happy Birthday by the way." "It's my birthday?" Matt asked, sounding confused. "No. It's actually past your birthday. It's March sixteenth." Cam could practically hear Matt's jaw drop from several miles away. "What? Why didn't anyone tell me?" "I didn't have a clue either! We've been so focused on different matters that we weren't paying any attention to the date." "Don't worry Matt, we'll celebrate once you're all healthy again." "We better. I don't want to be cheated out of a cake." The three adults quietly laughed and Vivian seemed to be falling asleep. Matt yawned and they all agreed it was probably time to sleep.

However, when Cam went to lay Vivian down to sleep, the toddler refused to let go of him. "Vivian, you should try to sleep again." "No sleep." Vivian said, pleading with the adult. "Okay, would you like me to read to you?" The toddler nodded but then a cheeky grin settled on his face. "Sing?" Toby heard the toddler's soft request and her face lit up. "Are you going to sing to him?" Cam's face had turned red and he shrugged. "I don't know. I don't do it very often." "You must've done it to Vivian." "Okay maybe once or twice. I haven't done it for Mason or Jay because I don't think they like it." "What makes you say that?" "They told me they prefer you to sing to them to sleep instead of me." "What? When did they say that?" "A few years ago, before Matt and Vivian moved here." "Why didn't you say anything?" "Because it doesn't really matter to me. We should try and do what makes them happy." "Apparently someone likes your singing." "With little strings." Vivian said with a grin. "Little strings?" Toby asked. "My ukulele." Toby's mouth dropped open and Cam flushed a deeper red. 

"When did you pick that up?" "I have more time than you think. It was supposed to be a surprise, but I guess Vivian ruined it." Cam said. Vivian just giggled and hid his face in Cam's shoulder. "I haven't heard any mention of your ukulele since primary school." Cam shrugged again, "I pulled it out right after Matt was admitted to the hospital back in December. It seemed to calm Vivian down a lot, and even when he didn't have nightmares, he just really enjoyed hearing it. He has a different opinion on my musical abilities than Jay and Mason do." "That's one of the cutest things I've ever heard! You should definitely play for our kids one of these days." "I'll give it a shot. Maybe their opinion's will change now that they're a little older." Toby smiled and Cam left the room with the toddler down to the basement. His families were all asleep upstairs, so he didn't have a problem digging out his ukulele from its hiding place and sitting down in one of the chairs in the dimly lit room. "Any requests buddy?" Cam asked and Vivian nodded. "Sing." "I meant songs." "Oh," Vivian thought for a moment before staring back up at the blonde. "My favorite one." Cam nodded and the toddler settled himself onto the blonde's lap while still wrapped up in his blanket. 

Cam began softly singing while playing his ukulele in time. Vivian really liked the song Cam always played for him which was Riptide by Vance Joy. It had such a soft beat to it and it never failed to make Vivian smile. "Again!" Vivian begged when Cam finished. So Cam played it again and then played another song he had recently learned to play which was The Judge by Twenty One Pilots. By the time Cam had finished playing that song, the toddler was fast asleep on his lap. Cam smiled down at the toddler and hid his ukulele before heading up the stairs. Everyone else was asleep, so Cam made sure to keep quiet as he entered his bedroom. Toby had opted to sleep with family for the night, so it would help relieve some of the anger they had. Cam gently laid the toddler down on the mattress before pulling the blankets over both of them. The next day, everyone decided to head over to the hospital to visit Matt. 

All of the relatives had decided they wanted to apologize to Matt and give him a second chance. They had opted to put all their anger on Cam instead of Matt. When they arrived at the hospital, Cam led the way to Matt's hospital room and pushed open the door. "Daddy!" Vivian excitedly shouted as he saw Matt. "Hey! There's my pride and joy! And one of my other favorite people!" The brunette said with a big smile. He reached out to take Vivian from Cam and gave the toddler a tight hug. "I heard you had another one of your episodes last night. Are you alright?" Vivian nodded and Matt looked up towards Cam. "He was fine after I splashed the water on him. Practically like his old self again." "Well that's a relief. What do you think about your mother being gone forever?" Matt quietly asked. A smile wormed its way onto the toddler's face and he excitedly threw his small arms around Matt's neck for a hug. "No more scary people!"

"He's been so happy Matt. The happiest I've ever seen him." Cam said. Matt's heart warmed from hearing that and he returned his son's hug. "That's amazing Viv! I haven't seen you with such a big smile in years!" Vivian giggled and Matt opened his mouth to say something when mass amounts of people shuffled into his hospital room. He closed his mouth and his eyebrows scrunched together. "Don't worry Matt, they're here to apologize." Toby quickly explained. "Apologize?" "Yes, apologize for all of their negative actions and words." Mason and Jay came running over and demanded to be up on the bed with Matt. "Boys, I don't think it's safe to have all three of you on the bed." Toby said as she came to stand next to the bed. "Then make Vivian leave!" "Yeah! He got to see Uncle Matt every single day!" Toby saw Cam about to speak and she quickly told him that she'd take care of it. In the end, she ended up asking Matt to let Vivian go so his nephews could catch up. "But Viv-" "Vivian gets to spend the rest of his life with you. Just give these boys a few minutes. Besides, Vivian got to see you everyday just the same as Cam has. Maybe its time to see some new faces." 

Cam's eyes widened in shock and he saw Matt was just as surprised. Matt sighed and he looked down at his son. "I'm sorry buddy, but your aunt has a fair point. Maybe you and Cam can go downstairs and find some chocolate cake." Matt promised Vivian that he'd see him soon before handing him off to Cam, who was then pushed out of the room by his relatives. Cam shook his head to clear his thoughts and put on a smile. "How does chocolate cake sound?" Vivian nodded and as soon as they sat down to eat their cake, Cam's phone chimed with a text. As soon as Cam read it, his heart sank. Toby had told Cam to go back home with Vivian, as they weren't wanted. Cam didn't know what had changed, but he was struggling to cope with all of the sudden hatred. He sighed and Vivian tipped his head up to look at the adult. "What wrong?" "Nothing's wrong buddy. We're just going to head home." "But...Daddy." Vivian said. "I know, but he's busy right now. Maybe it's best that we do go home. Almost everyone is angry with the both of us." Vivian nodded and when he finished his cake, Cam was taking them back home. 

"What do you want to do, Squirt?" "Story?" "Story it is. Let me guess. Jack and the Beanstalk?" Vivian eagerly nodded and Cam smiled. "Go get your pajamas on and meet me in the basement." Cam grabbed the book and changed out of his nicer clothes into something more comfortable. Vivian scampered down the staircase and climbed onto Cam's lap with his stuffed monkey. "You really like monkeys." Vivian nodded, "When Daddy and I live in Flora, we go to his old house." "His childhood home?" Cam suggested and Vivian nodded. "We go there and Daddy show me pictures of my grandpa. He fight in war and he love monkeys. One picture, my grandpa was carrying a monkey. Daddy give me a little glass statue of monkey that my was my grandpa's. Daddy say Grandpa would've called me a little monkey." "And that's why you love monkeys so much. Because your grandpa loved them, and you never got to meet him." Vivian nodded, "Daddy say I meet him someday." "Yes you will, and I'm positive he'll love you just as must as your Dad does." Vivian just smiled and settled back against Cam's chest to hear his favorite story. 

By the time Cam had finished reading the story, both he and the toddler were fast asleep in the rocking chair in the warmth of the basement. When everyone else came back hours later, the door was locked. Even though they pounded on the door and windows, no one came to let them in. Which meant Toby had to fish out the spare key and let them in. When Toby looked around the house for her husband, she found no traces of him or Vivian. She just shrugged and decided to go to sleep. The next morning when Cam and Vivian still didn't appear she actually started to worry. She searched the house again, and found the two asleep in the basement. Toby shook her head and shook Cam awake. Cam jumped a little and blinked sleep from his eyes. "What are you doing down here? Shouldn't you have been upstairs?" "I must have of fallen asleep reading to Vivian." Toby put her hands on her hips and Cam sat up in the rocking chair. "What's wrong? You've got that look on your face." "Yes I do. And this time it's about you." "Me? What did I do?" Cam asked. "I think you've been lying to us this entire time."


	12. Would I Lie To You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 420 Y'all!

"What are you talking about?" Cam asked, his eyebrows scrunching together in confusion. "About Vivian's mother being here. I think you lied so you could send your family away to meet with some other woman!" "Some other woman? Where would you get an idea like that?" Toby didn't answer and Cam shook his head. "Don't tell me you listened to our angry relatives. You know I wouldn't trade you and our kids for the world." "Then why we did have to leave for a month?! Cam, something doesn't add up and I want answers!" "I already explained this. I wanted you guys to leave so Rachel wouldn't target you and our kids. Matt told me she and her family would do anything to hurt him, which would mean they would target us. I didn't want to risk losing you three!" Toby suddenly remembered the toddler was still there and she pulled Cam to the other side of the room, leaving Vivian still curled up in the rocking chair. 

"I still don't believe you." "What else do you want me to say? I told you the truth Tobes!" "Then why was there evidence of a woman here?!" "The only visitors that entered this house while you were gone were two CPS workers; Ms. LeBlanc being one of them!" "Okay, but what about that letter? How I really know if you're telling the truth?" "Why the hell would I lie about our best friend and his kid getting abused? What kind of sick person would that make me!?" Cam exclaimed. "Well you haven't exactly been keeping me updated on everything!" "I didn't know you wanted me to! Everyday for the past month I've been waking up and going to the hospital to take Vivian to be with Matt! Then I came home just to clean! Tobes, why in the world would I keep something this important from you?" "You kept your ukulele and singing a secret!" "Because I didn't think you cared! For the past few years none of my family seems to care one bit about my singing!" 

"That still doesn't give you any reason to hide it!" "Would you rather have me have a drug addiction? Because you're making a big deal out of something that doesn't matter!" "At least I could smell the drugs on you! I bet you're hiding more information, too! How come I learned about CPS practically two weeks after it happened?" "Because that woman is a monster! She hurt the two people that are close to us and scarred them! Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally! Toby, is none of this clicking for you? I sent you and our kids away so you wouldn't have to sit by and watch them suffer! You're only used to seeing our kids cry over falling down or getting scratched! Vivian is the complete opposite! He doesn't cry over scratches or falling down! This kid cries because he was tortured by his own mother! It hurts to see this little four year old crying because of nightmares and PTSD! He's four and he has horrible PTSD, Toby! Don't you understand?" 

"So? That doesn't give you any reason to send us away!" "Yes it does! How do you not understand that I didn't want you guys to see what they have to go through! It's an awful experience and I did it so you and our kids wouldn't be scared!" "What's the worse that could happen?" "Vivian wakes up screaming for his dad because he's convinced his abusive mother is after him! That's the worst that could happen Toby, because that's what happens most nights! This kid doesn't deserve that and neither does Matt! This kid literally can't be left alone because he's deathly afraid of getting hurt again! And that's the worst thing a parent can endure!" "They're just ordinary nightmares!" "These aren't normal nightmares Toby! When this kid has nightmares he doesn't even know you're there! He can't see or hear you because he's practically petrified in place until you can comfort him! His mother literally beat him with a block of wood and you still can't seem to understand why I sent you all away!" Cam shouted, and by that point the toddler had shaken awake.

"You still can't seem to understand why I'm doing all this! Even though we aren't blood related, Matt is our best friend! He's saved us so many times and we owe him! And even if we didn't owe him, we would still help him because that's the nice thing to do! Matt and Vivian have it way harder than we do or ever had! And if doing this makes Matt's life a little easier, then I'm going to do all I can!" Cam stomped back over to the rocking chair and saw that Vivian had listened to their conversation. "Hey buddy. How did you sleep?" "Monkeys." "You had a dream about monkeys?" Vivian nodded and he held his arms out, wanting to be picked up. Cam obliged and hefted the toddler into his arms. "Are you hungry, bud?" Vivian nodded and Cam started up the stairs, but was intercepted by his own kids. "Hey! How are my little buddies doing?" Cam asked. 

The kids jumped up at him and Cam shifted Vivian to his shoulders to hold both of his kids in his arms. "I've missed you guys so much!" Cam said with a big smile. His sons hugged him and Cam asked, "Who wants breakfast?" Mason and Jay cheered and he took the three kids into the kitchen. He set each kid down at a chair at the kitchen island and asked what they wanted to eat. They all agreed on eggs and sausage and Cam pulled out the cooking supplies. "Eggs and sausage coming right up." A few minutes later Cam set three plates of breakfast food in front of the three kids. "So, how was seeing Uncle Matt last night?" Cam asked his kids. "Awesome! Once he gets better we'll do a movie night again!" "Can I watch too?" Vivian asked. "No, it's for Uncle Matt and us!" "Oh." Vivian said, his face turning crimson and he turned back to his food. "Boys, that wasn't very nice." "He got to see Uncle Matt more than we did!" Mason protested. "Uncle Matt is Vivian's dad, so naturally Vivian is going to see him more than you guys do." "But it's always our night with Uncle Matt!" "That's fair. Vivian, you always come over here. So maybe you don't have to be sad that you don't get to have fun with them." Vivian nodded as he finished his breakfast.

"Can we go see Daddy?" The toddler asked as he barely was able to put his plate into the sink. "Of course buddy." "Can we come too?" Jay asked. "Go ask your mother. Since you just came home from New Zealand she might want you guys to settle back in." The two kids nodded and ran off to talk to their mother. "Okay Viv. Why don't you go get changed and then we can leave for the hospital." Vivian eagerly nodded and he ran down the hall. A few minutes later, everyone was headed to the hospital again. Cam had to drive separate again, as everyone else was cramming into the other cars. "So Viv, are you excited to have your dad back home soon?" Vivian nodded and Cam smiled. "What would you think about having a little party?" "Cake?" "Of course cake. Who do you think we are, Squirt?" Vivian giggled and latched onto his stuffed monkey. Cam arrived at the hospital first, so Vivian could have time to talk with his dad before everyone else came in. "Daddy!" Vivian called out as he ran into Matt's room. 

Matt was sitting up eating breakfast, and he grinned as Vivian ran over to his bed. Cam helped the toddler up onto the bed and watched as Vivian attacked his father with a big hug. "How are you this morning?" Matt asked, handing Vivian a blueberry muffin as he sat down on his lap. "Awesome! No scary dreams and Uncle Cam sing me to sleep." "Vivian! You swore you wouldn't say anything!" The toddler just giggled and started eating his muffin. "You're still playing your ukulele?" Matt asked, and Cam nodded. Matt smiled and looked up at him. "That's amazing. Don't ever stop." "I owe it all to you. If you hadn't-" "There's no need to thank me, Cam. You have natural talent for singing and playing that ukulele of yours." "Yeah, but I would've thrown it all away if you hadn't said something." "I know this is hypocritical of me to say, but not everyone's opinion's matter. Sometimes you should embrace the opportunity to do something that will benefit you." "Like you and photography." Matt nodded and he wrapped an arm around Vivian to peel the wrapper off the muffin. 

"I think it's beyond amazing that you have the talent to sing people to sleep. What about Mason and Jay? Have their opinions changed at all on your music?" Cam shook his head and sighed. "Unfortunately not. They prefer Toby to sing to them, not me. Which is absolutely fine. They don't have to like my singing, but I always thought they would." "Cameron McKay, if you ever throw that ukulele away and I find out, I will make your life miserable until you get it back." "Is that a threat or a promise?" "Both." Cam nodded, and Matt laughed. "I'm honestly glad that you and Vivian appreciate it. I think Toby was a little mad that I kept it from her." "Oh? Maybe she misses it. You should talk to her about it. Maybe there's a reason why she's upset." Cam nodded and a knock on the door and lots of jingling from the handle, signaled the door was locked. Cam went to go get it, and Matt took the opportunity to start tickling Vivian as he brought him in for a hug. The toddler started giggling and tried to push Matt's hands away, but it was no use. When the guests started filing in again, Matt stopped and pushed the rest of the muffin towards his son. 

Vivian's face was red from laughing too hard, but he was still beaming ear to ear. "Uncle Matt!" Vivian met eyes with his dad and Matt sighed. He pressed a kiss to Vivian's head and whispered, "I'm sorry Viv. But I'll be home soon and we can spend all the time in the world together. I love you." Vivian repeated the phrase just as quiet, and let himself get pulled away from his father. Cam sat them down in the corner by the window and he sighed. "This must be rough on you, Squirt." Vivian nodded and hugged his monkey against his chest. "Hopefully it will all be over soon." The two had to sit in the corner for what seemed like hours before Jake came into the room. "I'm sorry, but we've got to have the room cleared for rehab." Everyone said their goodbyes, but Matt stopped Cam and Vivian. "I want Vivian here and Cam takes care of him." Jake nodded and he whipped out his clipboard. Matt had been working for the past week to walk by himself. The nurses had started him out with small things to eat, and were working him up to bigger and healthier meals to help regain his health. Matt had been able to hold himself up for a few steps without assistance, but hadn't made it much further. 

A week and a half later, two major events had taken place. Matt had been given a release date, and everyone inside the McKay household except the three kids were extremely irate with Cam. All of the adults within the house were peeved at Cam, because they believed he had been lying to them the entire time. Cam pleaded with this family that he hadn't lied, but not one of them believed him, not even Toby. Cam was forced to put up with it all the way until Matt was set to come home. Cam had modified Matt's house a bit with the kids' help so Matt could still function as he gradually got better. Toby and the rest of the relatives had thrown a party together to welcome Matt back home, which Cam was being excluded from. Unfortunately, Vivian was also asked to stay away. That upset Cam more than his own absence from the party. "Matt is Vivian's father! Why is Matt's own kid being excluded from his party!?" "Because he's seen his dad more than any of us have." "Vivian is Matt's child! It only makes sense that he sees his dad more than any of us!" The relatives just shrugged and Cam was left in disbelief. "It's okay Uncle Cam. We have cake with Daddy at hospal." Cam smiled and ruffled the toddler's hair. "Yes. Yes we will." 

Cam was in charge of picking Matt up and getting him home, Vivian eagerly assisting in any way he could. "You seem excited Vivian." Jake said as Cam was signing Matt's discharge papers. The toddler nodded and watched as a chocolate cake was brought into the room. "What is this?" Matt asked as he sat up straighter in his chair. "Some celebratory cake, my treat." Jake said as he started cutting the cake. "What? No, you shouldn't have." Matt protested. "Of course I didn't have to, but I did. Even though you probably shouldn't be having this cake right now, I'm going to pretend like I didn't see anything." Matt grinned and accepted his piece. "Thanks Jake. I wasn't expecting this." "Yeah, that was kind of the point." The adults all laughed and Vivian looked at them in confusion with chocolate frosting all over his face, which only made the adults laugh harder. "Since we've gotten so close over your few months here, I thought I'd do something nice for you." "You really didn't have to go out of your way to buy a cake." "If it makes you feel any better, I bought it from downstairs." "It does make me feel better." Matt said with a smile. "That's what friends are for."

"Hey, Jake you should come to the surprise party we're throwing Matt." Cam said when Matt was out of earshot. "Oh yeah?" "In hindsight of all of this, we completely forgot about his birthday. My family is planning on throwing him a surprise party for both him and Vivian." "For both of them?" "They share the same birthday, so we're just going to have a party to compensate for all the trauma going on." "I'll be happy to come. Would I be able to bring my family?" "Of course. The more the merrier. I'll call you when there's a set date and give you more details." "Sounds good." The two returned to the room and Jake clapped his hands together. "Well, time for you to head home." Cam made sure to keep an eye on his best friend as they headed to his car. "It feel so strange going home after so many months." Matt said as he buckled his seat belt. Cam smiled as he buckled Vivian into his car seat. "Your house is nice and tidy." "You cleaned my house?" "Kept it clean." Cam corrected as he climbed into the drivers seat. "Vivian, Jay, and Mason all helped." 

"That's very kind of you to do that. You really didn't have to." "Matt, you know we'll always help you because you'd do the same for us. We kept your house clean because it would help take some of the load off your shoulders." Matt smiled and minutes later Cam pulled the car into his driveway. "Home sweet home." Cam grinned. Matt managed to make his way from the car, Cam carrying Vivian behind him. Matt had noticed how close Vivian and Cam were from all of this happening, and he was happy. Vivian trusted another person just as much as he trusted his father, which made Matt smile. "What's got you smiley all of a sudden?" Cam asked. "Oh nothing." Cam just shook his head and opened the door to his house. Matt crossed the threshold, to immediately be bombarded by Jay and Mason. "Hey! How are you two doing?" Matt asked as he crouched down. "Remember to take it easy Matt. You're supposed to keep things chill for two weeks." "I remember." Cam nodded and Matt watched his best friend disappear into the kitchen.

Matt talked to Jay and Mason for almost fifteen minutes before Toby brought him into the kitchen. Matt was surprised they were throwing him a party, but he still appreciated it. A few hours into the party, Matt noticed he couldn't find Vivian or Cam anywhere. When Matt asked Toby where they were, she just shrugged and walked away. Which left it up to Matt to search for them. He finally found Cam and Vivian in the sun room. "Hey, what are you guys doing in here? Shouldn't you be at the party?" Cam looked up with a guilty look on his face. "Actually, we were both excluded from the party. It was very clear that we weren't wanted at your welcome back celebration." "What? Why? I want you both at the party." Matt said as he took a seat next to Vivian. "Aunt Toby say we see you already. She say we see you too much and they want time with you." Vivian said without looking up from his coloring book. "What?" Matt asked and Cam nodded, "Lately, my presence makes everyone angry, so I decided to respectfully stay away from the party. And Vivian decided to just hang with me." The toddler nodded before returning to his coloring book. 

Matt shook his head, "That isn't fair. You sent your family away to protect them." Matt pushed himself up from the table and began walking out of the room. "Where are you going?" "I'm going to talk to Toby. I can't stand the thought of you two fighting over something so petty." Cam shrugged his shoulders and watched his best friend walk away. Matt easily located Toby and tapped her shoulder. "Hey Matt! Are you having fun?" "It's a blast. Could I talk to you in private?" Toby nodded and the two settled into her bedroom. "So, what did you want to talk about?" "Normally I wouldn't intrude, but this time it has something to do with me. I don't want you and Cam to fight over me." "Oh Matt, we aren't fighting over you." "Not to be rude, but you kind of are. Toby, Cam loves you with all his heart." "Please don't start this." "No, Toby please just hear me out. All I'm asking is for you listen to me with an open mind." Toby deeply sighed, but nodded. "Thank you." Matt said, relieved Toby was going to listen to him. 

"I know you're angry about having to leave Australia for a month. However, Cam only sent you guys away because he loves you. It was purely for safety reasons, Toby. When Cam told me you were angry with him while I was still in the hospital, he was in tears because he loves his family. I was the one to warn him about my ex-wife and how dangerous she was. Because of that, Cam immediately thought of your safety, and Jay and Mason's safety." "That still doesn't give him an excuse to send us away for an entire month." Matt sighed and shook his head. "I think I know what's bothering you." "Oh yeah? And what would that be?" Toby asked, getting defensive. "You're envious." "Pfft? Envious of wha-" "You replaced a family portrait with a picture of us." Toby snapped her mouth closed and Matt smiled. 

"There's no need to be envious, Toby. I don't favor Cam over you. The only favorite I have, is my son. I obviously love him a little more than I love the rest of you. Vivian just has a natural connection with Cam, which is why he took care of him. Cam stayed behind to spare you from the trauma that both myself and my son have been through. To the best of my knowledge, you haven't witnessed any of Vivian's nightmares." Toby shook her head and Matt nodded. "Cam didn't want any of you to witness the nightmares. When Rachel came here, it triggered Vivian's worst nightmares and visions. Cam didn't want you or your kids to see how bad life can be, and you shouldn't be angry at him for this. He was doing the right thing in sending you away, because it protects your pure images of us. You aren't used to seeing kids wake up screaming because of their mother." Toby's gaze dropped to the floor and Matt shook his head. "Don't feel guilty. It's just a little form of miscommunication. If you were feeling jealous and confused, you should've gone to Cam instead of hiding it." "You hid all your feelings." Toby shot back.

Matt sighed, "And look where that landed me. I don't need anybody to worry about me, because I worry about everyone else." "Matt, you know we all care about you." Matt nodded, "However, I've never gotten used to the fact that people actually want to be my friend and care for me. My mental health isn't to be worried about, because you guys are far more important." "Oh Matt, you can't really mean that." Matt looked confused and Toby's face softened. "You're actually serious. Matt, you've seriously been living this way your entire life?" "Of course. You guys are far more important than I am." "Matthew Thomas Hampton, how can you believe such a thing? Your mental health is not something to just throw away. You need to take care of yourself, otherwise things like this happen." Matt sighed and he slowly nodded. 

"Cam was talking about taking me to see a counselor." "I think that's a good idea. Rachel has really messed with you, and I want to see you happy. A natural happy. Not some fake happy to fool us." Matt's smile perked up a little and Toby grinned. "There. That's the kind of state we want to see you in. Matt, I know I shouldn't be doing this, but you need to get help, and I'm going to be pushy until you get it." "Noted. I appreciate it." "Good. Because you deserve all the happiness in the world." "Will you talk to Cam? He's been feeling pretty defeated since summer." Toby's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "Since summer? Why summer? What happened in summer?" Matt's mouth dropped open, and realized Toby didn't know. "Oh. Just talk to Cam. I wasn't aware you didn't know what happened." "What the hell happened, Matt?" Toby asked. "It's not my place to say what happened, but I can tell you the outcome made Vivian and Cam closer."


	13. Truth Hurts

Matt almost ran out of the room after that and went back to the sun room. "You didn't tell Toby?" "Tell Toby what?" Cam asked, looking up at his best friend. "You never told Toby what happened in summer!" Matt hissed, his eyes blown wide. Cam's face turned red, "I didn't want to worry her." "Oh Cam, you should've told her. I accidentally told her that you had been feeling pretty defeated since summer, and she didn't know what I was talking about." "Oh shit. That isn't good." "Aunt Toby don know?" Vivian asked, his voice tiny. Matt scooped him onto his lap to hug him. "Don't worry Viv. Aunt Toby won't be angry, she'll just be worried." "Promise?" "I promise." Vivian turned back to his coloring book before Toby slowly came into the sun room. "Cam? Can we talk?" Cam swallowed and grimly nodded. "But Matt and Vivian stay here." he said and Toby nodded. She sat down with them at the table and took a deep breath.

"Cam, what the hell is going on? One minute I was your rock, but when I turn around, Matt is suddenly the person you turn to with everything. He knew about your Ukulele and your singing and probably a whole bunch of other things I'm not aware of. And now I find out something major happened in summer, and Matt knows but I don't. What is going on?" Toby asked. Cam bit his lip and glanced at Matt for help. "That is exactly what I'm talking about! Ever since summer, it seems like you've claimed Matt as your rock, and that you favor Vivian more than our own kids." Cam didn't answer and Matt laid a hand on his shoulder. Toby watched them have a silent conversation, and it only upset her more. "Why do you trust Matt more than me? This isn't how a marriage works, Cam. You're supposed to trust me over anyone else. What the hell happened that made you drawn to Matt and Vivian rather than me and our kids?" Cam sighed and Matt gave him a reassuring nod.

Cam opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't force any words out. Vivian looked up from his coloring book to see how upset Cam was, and without hesitation he crawled off of Matt's lap in favor of sitting on Cam's and hugging the adult. "Don worry. Be happy." Cam gave the toddler a weak smile as he returned the embrace. "See? What is this Cam? Vivian treats you as if you're his dad rather than his uncle. I feel like you favor Matt's child, over your own children." "Listen Tobes. Several major things happened, some more recently and some months ago." "Go on. I'm listening." Toby said, crossing her arms. "Well, what do you want to know?" "Start with what happened in summer." Cam nodded and tried to think of a way to explain things. "Do you remember what happened to us back in summer?" Toby nodded, "Of course I do. We almost went bankrupt, lost our car, and Matt had to take care of our kids while we were trying to sort our problems out." "Well, because of those issues, something bad happened." "Oh? Like what? What happened that was so bad?" Toby asked.

Cam sighed and Vivian burrowed deeper into the embrace. "When our financial and living situation got really bad, my mental health began spiraling." "How? You didn't even show any change." "I covered it with a brave face. I couldn't show that I was scared and anxious that we were going to lose everything. Every way we turned, it just seemed to get worse. There just wasn't a way out at the time, and when we hit the edge, I lost it. Things were so bad, that the night you had taken the boys out for dinner, I found myself standing on top of our house." "What the hell were you doing up there? You could've fallen and seriously hurt yourself or even died! That's practically a twenty foot fall!" "That was the whole point." Cam said, and Toby's mouth dropped open. "I couldn't do it anymore Tobes! At the time I thought that jumping off the roof was the only solution to the problem, because we couldn't do anything! We were already in the early stages of bankruptcy. We couldn't pay any of our bills, we couldn't get new jobs because we didn't have a car, and we couldn't ask anyone for help. I would've ended up...doing something life threatening." "And why didn't you? No one was there to stop you." 

"Well, actually, there was." "What? Who the hell came and stopped you?" Toby asked in disbelief about the entire situation. "It was Vivian." "Vivian? How did he stop you?" Toby yelled and Vivian flinched. "Hey, it's okay." Cam said softly to comfort Vivian. "Matt had sent Vivian over here to find me and ask if I wanted to come over and have dinner since I was all alone. And he found me on the roof." Cam said, his voice getting quieter as he retold the experience. "So what did you do?" "I obviously didn't do what I was originally planning." Cam said quietly. "From the moment that Vivian stepped out onto the roof, I just...couldn't do it." "So what if he hadn't found you? Then would you have done it?" Cam didn't answer and Toby shook her head. "I can't believe this. Vivian kept you from jumping off that roof? How was that possible?" "I just couldn't do anything like that in front of him, because he's already been through enough. I just couldn't do it in his presence." Toby's posture became rigid and Cam sighed. 

"Viv was confused at what I was doing, and that's when I heard Matt's voice from inside the house. Viv called out for him, and he came onto the roof with us. Matt somehow knew what I was about to do and for some reason, he wasn't disgusted with me." Cam said, his eyes getting glassy. "Together, Matt and Vivian talked me away from the edge and got me back to safety. And once I was trapped beneath several blankets on Matt's couch, I finally opened up to him." "But why Matt? Why couldn't you talk to me?" "Because it just felt right. I don't know how to explain it, but telling Matt just felt like something I needed to do. Once I told Matt everything, we were both able to talk about our pasts' more loosely. Which is how Matt learned about my singing and ukulele." "So why have you and Matt gotten closer?" Toby asked, crossing her arms against her chest. "Because he helped save me, and he helped saved us. After that talk, Matt saved us from losing everything. He got us back on our feet, and helped take care of our debts and gave us his car." "What happened more recently?" 

When Toby asked her question, she noticed both adults opposite her had frozen in place. "Oh God. Don't tell me you two-" "Oh God no Toby!" Matt quickly said with a disgusted look on his face. "We would never do such a thing!" Cam said, his face equally disgusted. Toby exhaled in relief and nodded. "Well good. Now, what happened that made you both so tense?" When neither Matt or Cam gave Toby an answer, she sighed. "Tell me what happened. I don't care what it sounds like or how upset it might make me. Just tell me the truth." "I adopted Vivian." Cam blurted out and Toby couldn't believe her ears. "You what?" She yelled as she stood up. "Why would you ever do such a thing! You already have your own kids! Why do you suddenly need another one!" As Toby continued to yell at Cam, Vivian started to internally panic. 

He was starting to shake against Cam, and the blonde had quickly noticed. So instead of listening to his husband's angry rant, Cam worked on calming the toddler down. Toby noticed that Cam wasn't paying attention anymore and stopped yelling once she noticed how scared the toddler looked. "I'm sorry. There must be a logical explanation for all of this." She said, her voice much softer. "You are correct." "Could you explain how this happened?" "Well, it all started with that orange envelope Matt had stuck inside Jack and the Beanstalk." "I thought you got rid of that thing." Toby said. "I said I would take care of it. I never said I was going to get rid of it." "So you just went out and adopted Vivian on instinct?" 

"No, of course not. Matt and I had long conversations every time Vivian was asleep. Vivian has issues because of his past and Matt was stressing over the fact that he may not be able to raise his son as a single parent. Matt has almost all of the same issues that Vivian has, and hearing him talk about it was just sad. There was talk of me accepting the position as Vivian's second parent, but nothing was finalized until those ridiculous tests were administered." "What tests?" "The tests to prove that Vivian was truly terrified of his mother. After witnessing that, I knew the right thing to do was talk to Matt. And after talking to Matt, it was just a mutual decision for me to legally become Vivian's other parent and guardian." "So you're Vivian's guardian?" "No. I'm his other parent." "I don't understand." Toby said and Matt shook his head. "Look, it's complicated to explain, but the government was involved, and Cam is legally Vivian's parent. Not only a guardian, but a physical parent to him." "Why? Why would you do any of this without consulting me first?" "Because I'm sick of being told I'm doing something wrong." Cam said, his voice getting defensive. 

"What are you talking about?" "You know exactly what I'm talking about. You and all of our relatives have been belittling me this entire time because apparently Matt and Vivian are a waste of space. Well, to me they're not a waste of space." "Why does this mean so much to you?" "Because they deserve the chance to be happy just like the rest of us." Toby sighed in defeat. "Okay fine. But why would you suddenly agree to adopting another child? Isn't two enough?" "I love Jay and Mason just as much as you do. I don't love them any less now that Vivian is my son as well." Toby nodded but then her eyes narrowed, "Why didn't you tell me any of this? I understand that I was in New Zealand, but you could've called me to tell me you two were discussing second parent options. I could've done it just the same." Matt and Cam glanced at each other and didn't say anything. "What?" Toby asked, her voice raising a notch higher. Matt sighed and turned to Cam. "Why don't you take Vivian into the party and get some chocolate cake?" Vivian perked up at the mention of chocolate cake and Cam nodded. He left the room with the toddler and Matt looked Toby directly in the eyes. 

"Toby, don't blame Cam for not telling you about Vivian's adoption. I'm the one that told him not to tell you." Toby's mouth dropped open in shock and Matt solemnly shook his head. "I'm not proud of it, but I knew it would only make you upset." "Of course it's going to make me upset, Matt! I could've done a better job than Cam because he's an awful parent!" "Now don't say that loosely Toby. How much have you really seen Cam parent?" "He hardly ever took care of our kids when they were younger! He used to put them to sleep, take them on adventures, and he couldn't shut up about them. Now it seems like he doesn't want anything to do with them. And the sad part about that is that our kids don't even seem to mind. They're far better off without Cam as their dad." Matt just shook his head, "Now Toby, I think you're jumping the gun here. I've heard so much about this that I practically know everything about your family by heart. Toby, have you ever thought that maybe it wasn't Cam that changed?" "What are you implying?" Toby asked, cocking her head to the side. "Have you ever thought that maybe it was your kids that lost interest in their dad, instead of the other way around?"

"That's an insane thing to think!" "More insane than Cam not loving his kids?" "Okay, okay. I see your point. But why would you think Jay and Mason don't like their dad anymore?" "Cam hasn't changed since the day I met him. His priorities have always been his family, and you know that. He hasn't changed since the day you met him, or married him, or had two kids with him. Cam loves those kids with more heart than he has." "That doesn't prove anything." "Think about it Toby. Don't you remember how upset you were when you found out that Cam had been hiding his ukulele from you?" Toby nodded and Matt continued, "He hid it because his own kids chose you over him. Your kids favor you over Cam and they don't love you two equally." "That's not true!" Toby protested but Matt shook his head. "Let me give you some evidence. Cam does nice things for your kids all the time, but they don't even acknowledge him. They think you did it for them, instead of Cam." "Like what?" "Cam taught those boys how to sing, Toby. And they credit you instead, and you credit yourself with that too." "What? I do not!"

"Yes, you do. You can't lie to me, I can see right through it. Cam offers to take them places, and they refuse him. But they never refuse you. Which is why Vivian and I always end up going places with Cam instead of his real family. And he tries to discipline them, but they never listen. Those two only behave if you discipline them." "Discipline them? Why would I need to discipline them?" "That's exactly what I'm talking about, Toby. You allow them to misbehave and be mean to other kids, including Vivian." "What? Since when have they been mean to Vivy?" "In the hospital they complained that MY SON shouldn't be there with me." "So? What's wrong with that?" "Toby, have you lost your mind? You can't let your kids turn into brats! If you're going to take full ownership of your kids, you need to teach them some manners. They can't just go on in life thinking they can do whatever they want." "You're right Matt. But why would they lose interest in their dad?" "You tell me." Matt said and Toby gulped. 

"Look, I understand that you wanted to be the favorite parent, but you didn't need to go to such extreme measures to ensure that your kids don't like their dad anymore. You made those kids believe that their dad doesn't love them as much as you do." Toby dropped her gaze and Matt sighed, "I just hope you realize that Cam became Vivian's other parent purely because he loves Vivian, and my son genuinely appreciates him." "So who made the final decision?" Toby asked, and Matt pondered his thoughts for a moment. "You were actually an option. You and Cam are my family, and Cam was very grateful that I had thought of him as an option. But in the end, it was actually Vivian who chose Cam." "Are you serious?" Toby shrieked. "Why would I lie about this? I can tell you right now why my son picked Cam over you." "Then tell me!" 

"Cam cares for Vivian the way that he needs to be cared for. Every child is different Toby. Vivian needs a lot of love to feel safe, and Cam gives him that. Cam didn't just choose Vivian over his own kids. He chose to take care of Vivian, because Vivian actually gives back the love. He doesn't ignore Cam like Jay and Mason do. He doesn't push Cam away like Jay and Mason do. And he actually wants to accept the love that Cam offers. Your kids get jealous that Cam spends so much time with Vivian, but the truth is, your kids are jealous because they want all the attention. Now, Jay and Mason can't help but act this way, because that's how they were brought up. Toby, you've got to change this. The whole reason that everyone is so angry at Cam is because he spends more time with Vivian than his own kids. And he does that because Vivian actually enjoys his presence. You're the only one that can change this Toby. You are the one to make everything right. This time, I can't really do much except give you the strength and the willpower to make everything right." Toby finally understood how all of her actions had affected her family and she realized Matt had been right all along. 

When Toby's face turned soft, Matt knew Toby had figured everything out. "I'm so sorry Matt! I never meant for any of this to happen!" Toby cried out as she snapped up and crushed Matt in a hug. Matt returned the hug for a few seconds before he started wheezing. "Toby...can't...breathe." Toby immediately let him go and sat back down. "Thank you. You're literally the smartest and kindest person I've ever known. I can't ever repay you for this." "There's no need. Just make things right between your family." Matt trailed behind Toby as she left to seek out her family. Matt found Vivian in the kitchen eating a piece of chocolate cake. Matt sat down in what he assumed was where Cam had been siting and noticed that Vivian had two paper plates. "Vivy, are you eating Cam's cake?" The toddler looked up with guilt written on his frosting covered face. Matt couldn't help but laugh as he shook his head. When the party ended hours later, everyone had fallen asleep in the basement except for Cam and Vivian. The toddler was still having some troubles falling asleep, but luckily for him, Cam was always there to help him. "What do you say, buddy? Think we can get this all cleaned up?" Cam asked and Vivian nodded. 

Toby hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her husband yet, so Cam still believed everything was his fault. Which is why he thought he should be the one to clean up after everyone. Vivian was eager to help, because it meant that he would have an excuse to stay awake longer. A few hours into the night, Toby had woken up and heard the soft pattering of footsteps from upstairs. She silently crept up the stairs to see what was going on and couldn't believe her eyes. In the dim lighting, she could just barely make out Cam and Vivian tearing down streamers and cleaning everything up. "Cam?" The toddler asked as he curled up a streamer and threw it into the garbage can. "Yes buddy?" "What do I call you now that you are my other parent?" Cam looked at him and read the worry on his face. The blonde knelt down and rested a hand on Vivian's shoulder. "You're worrying about calling me dad." Vivian nodded, his face tinted crimson. "Hey, you don't need to be embarrassed. I'm not here to replace your dad, but I'll be someone just like your dad. And you don't have to worry about calling me dad, buddy. If you ever feel like it's right when the time comes, I'm all for it. But if it makes things easier for you, you can still call me Uncle Cam or just Cam." Vivian nodded and his complexion returned to normal. 

"So, you my dad, but I don't need to call you that?" "You can call me whatever you'd like, bud. I'm your dad, but if you don't want to call me that in fear of replacing Matt, that's perfectly fine. Vivian, this is going to take some time to get used to, I understand that. But don't ever be afraid to tell me anything." Vivian nodded and he held open his arms. "Hug?" "You never have to ask, buddy. Hugs are always a yes." The toddler grinned and wrapped his arms around Cam's neck to hug him. Cam wrapped his arms around the toddler in return, and felt extremely lucky to have this kid in his life. Toby felt a pang in her heart because it wasn't Cam with their kids in that kitchen, and it was all her fault. The two continued to clean up the house and they moved to the backyard once the house was all clean. At that point, Toby's parents had woken up and joined her on the landing. "What is it about that kid?" "Hmm?" Toby asked, not really paying attention to the conversation. "What makes Cam so close to that kid? There must be something." Toby shrugged and watched Vivian scoop up a stray cat to show Cam. "That could've been me." 

"What was that?" Jenny asked and Toby looked at his mother. "In Cam's place. That could've been me out there. Pushed away by the family to believe the next door neighbor is the only family they have. To be so close to the neighbor and love his kid like his own. To adopt the neighbor's kid because he doesn't push him away. That could've been me. But it wasn't. Because I pushed Cam away." "What are you talking about? Are you saying Cam adopted that kid without telling you?" "Yeah, but he has shared parenting rights with Vivian's dad. Not me." Toby ended up telling the entire story to his parents, who had previously promised to keep it a secret. However, when Toby finished, it ended with her parents storming out to the backyard. Toby was frozen in place as her parents started yelling. But instead of yelling at Cam, they had been yelling at Vivian. Toby watched in horror as the toddler dropped the streamers onto the ground. Vivian's bottom lip started quivering as he stared up at the adults. Cam whipped around and saw what was happening. Vivian was shaking by the time Cam reached him, but the blonde was quickly shoved away. "No! Don't you know how much pain you've caused your family? You shouldn't even be in contact with this child!" As the screaming continued, Vivian started crying. 

He wanted to be away from all of the screaming, as it reminded him of the CPS testing. As Vivian's panic increased, he was running out of options. He finally decided he was going to make a run for the house and he took off running. When Vivian neared the house, he saw his dad waiting for him. Matt held his arms open and the toddler flung himself into the embrace. Vivian wrapped his arms around Matt's neck for comfort before his dad went back inside the house. Cam started walking towards the door when he was stopped by Toby's parents. "Listen son, you've got to stop this." "No. This is my business, not yours. Besides, I'm in the wrong here. I always have been, probably always will be. So let me go." Cam snapped open the door to his house to see Toby standing in front of him with a guilty look on her face. Cam shook his head before following Matt down the hallway. About a half hour later, Toby pushed open the door to the guest bedroom. "I'm so, so, so, sorry!" "Shh! He's sleeping!" Cam hissed as he finished pulling the blankets over Matt. Vivian was sitting on the edge of the bed curled up in his quilt, looking quite shaken up. "Are you alright Viv?" Toby asked softly and the toddler nodded. 

Cam sat down on the bed, and Vivian clambered onto his lap seeking comfort. Cam didn't hesitate to wrap him up in an embrace and the toddler seemed to instantly relax. "Now we can talk." Cam said calmly and Toby nodded. They decided to go sit at the kitchen table, Vivian refusing to let go of Cam. "Okay, what do you want to talk about?" Cam asked. "I did this." "Did what?" Cam asked, clearly confused. Toby took a deep breath, "I promised Matt I would fix this. I'm the reason why everyone is angry with you." "What are you talking about?" Cam asked as he looked down to see Vivian just as confused as he was. So Toby explained everything that had happened over the course of the past few years, and Cam was shocked. He didn't know how to respond, and Toby started to internally panic. "Cam? Cam, say something." A few minutes later Cam finally answered. "Why? Why would you do this to me? To us? Toby, I've loved our kids since the day they were born. To find out that they don't love me because of you...is honestly upsetting." "That's it? That's all you're going to say?!" 

"What else do you want me to say? What you've done is sick! Why would you ever turn my own kids against me, just so you can be the favorite parent!? What kind of person did I marry? I thought you loved me." Cam said, his voice breaking. "Matt told me you're envious because he spends more time with me. All you want is to be everyone's favorite. That just can't happen anymore if people that love you get affected like this." "So what's going to happen to us?" "I don't know, Toby. This is a huge thing, turning our family against me, just so you could be known as the favorite." "So what are you going to do?" Toby asked, fearful of the answer. Cam thought for a moment and looked down at the sleeping toddler on his lap. "I think I need to leave." "Leave?" Toby asked and her eyes widened. "Correction. I need to leave. For at least a little while. You...you need to fix all of this. I can't stay here when everyone hates me and I can't even trust my husband. When I come back, we'll talk again and work out whatever is left." Cam said, and he didn't wait for an answer as he left the room. Cam tucked the toddler into bed next to Matt, before slipping outside and into Matt's house. He knew he shouldn't be imposing like this, but he needed to be away from everything. 

When the sun took place of the moon, Cam had made up his mind. He was going to leave for at least two weeks. When Cam finally gained enough confidence to return to his own house, he was surprised to find Matt waiting for him at the door. Cam was about to ask what he was doing there, but he was cut off as his best friend hugged him. Cam sighed, but hugged his best friend back. "Toby told me what happened. How are you holding up?" Matt asked. "How long did you know?" Matt dropped his gaze, "I had my suspicions for months, but I learned the truth hours before you did." "I just can't believe it. My own kids. They don't even acknowledge me anymore. That should've tipped me off right there." "You tried so hard, Cam. Anyone with eyes could see that you care so much about your children." "I'm leaving." Cam said abruptly and Matt looked shocked. "Forever?" "No, not forever. But for a few weeks at most. Not only do I have business in Europe, I'm taking a vacation. I told Toby to fix it, or I'm not coming back." "You can't possibly be serious." "I'm dead serious Matt. If Toby doesn't fix this, then I won't be able to return back to Melbourne." "Then I'm coming with you." When Cam, Matt, and Vivian returned home after two weeks, Toby had managed to fix all of the burned bridges. Everyone apologized to Cam, and even Jay and Mason had changed their behavior. So everyone and everything was back to normal.


	14. Take A Walk

A few years down the road, all three children were in school together and the best of friends. Mason and Vivian were in the same grade, and they were almost inseparable. When Jay was with them, they were referred to as the Three Musketeers. When Vivian turned seven, all three parents noticed something had changed in their kids' friendship. Jay and Mason were shunning Vivian, and Vivian didn't say anything about it. He let his friends rip into him when none of the parents were present. Whenever the adults were around, Vivian had to force a smile when his friends were mean to him in a subtle way. Jay and Mason said everything was his fault, so they were just being mean to teach him a lesson. Vivian understood that it his fault, and he deserved to be treated this way. But after almost a year of this treatment, the three adults knew something was wrong. 

Cam and Toby had thrown Matt and Vivian a birthday party, but Vivian didn't seem to be enjoying himself. "What's got you down, buddy?" Cam asked when he and Vivian were alone on the couch. The child didn't respond, and Cam frowned. He nudged Vivian and the child flinched. "Hey, what's up? You haven't been yourself lately." Cam said, his voice soft. Vivian shrugged and hugged a pillow to his chest. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" Vivian nodded and he sighed before turning his head to face Cam. "I want to you tell you or Dad, but...I just can't." The gears in Cam's head started to whir and took note of the child's posture. "Viv, I've known you since you were only a year old. Something is bothering you, kid. What's got your tongue twisted? Is it someone at school?" "Not exactly." Vivian answered and tilted his gaze to stare at the floor. "What do you mean by-" Cam was cut off as Jay came running into the room to announce they were going to have cake. 

When it was Vivian's turn to blow out the candles, he caught his friends' glares from across the room. When everyone started to sing to him, Vivian couldn't find the strength to smile. Cam nudged Matt, and motioned towards the child. Matt frowned and waited until Toby had started cutting the cake before watching his son disappear from the room with his best friends. About ten minutes later, Toby called the three kids in for cake. Jay and Mason were the only ones to respond, Vivian no where to be found. Matt and Cam looked at each other before Matt looked at the two kids. "Jay, Mason, where is Vivian?" Jay and Mason shrugged and continued to eat their cake. "I'll go look for him. Where were you three playing?" Cam asked. "In the basement. He just disappeared when we were playing." Mason said and Cam nodded before leaving the room to look for his third kid.

When Cam stood at the bottom of the basement staircase, he remembered that Vivian liked to hide if he was sad. So Cam stayed silent as he walked around the basement before he heard soft whimpers coming from inside the closet. Cam quietly walked up to the closet and slowly pulled open the door. The child was curled up in the corner of the closet cradling his arm. "Viv? Are you alright, bud?" Cam gently asked as he knelt down to be somewhat eye level with him. Vivian looked up and flinched as he saw the concern written on Cam's face. "Vivian, if you're not okay, you need to tell me so I can help you." As tears continued streaming down his face, Vivian shook his head. "I'm fine." Cam looked Vivian straight in the eyes and the child looked away. "Buddy, you aren't okay. I can tell you aren't okay. You can trust me with anything." Vivian didn't say anything and Cam sighed. 

"Do you remember when your dad was in the hospital a few years ago?" Vivian nodded and finally looked Cam in the eyes. "This is different." "Why don't you come out of the closet, and then we can talk about this?" Cam suggested and Vivian nodded before slightly scooting forward. Cam watched him struggle and grimace in pain before gently scooping him up from the closet. "I could've gotten out myself." Cam smiled and shook his head. "No you couldn't. Something happened to you, kid." Vivian gulped and clamped his mouth shut as Cam took them over to the couches. Cam set him down on the couch before sitting next to him. "Now, can you tell me what's going on?" Cam softly asked and the child bit his lip. "Look, whatever it is, I'm not going to be mad." Vivian was quiet for a moment before looked up at Cam. "Promise?" Cam nodded and held out his hand. "I pinky-promise." Vivian weakly smiled and linked pinkies with Cam. "Can you start with what's making you sad?" 

A streak of fear passed through Vivian and Cam stood up. "Hang on a second." Cam fumbled around in the trunk they had in the corner by the fireplace and came back over to the couch with something Vivian hadn't seen in years. Cam wrapped Vivian's quilt around him before sitting back down. "Anything you tell me, isn't going to affect how I treat you. It could be the worst thing on the planet, and I'd still view you as my son." Vivian nodded and sighed as he curled up against Cam. Cam wrapped an arm around the small child for comfort, and Vivian finally opened up about what was happening. "It's all my fault really. Jay and Mason are only being mean to me because I deserve it." Cam looked down at the child in shock. "Jay and Mason are being mean to you? But you three are best friends." "It's all my fault." "What's all your fault?" "That they're mean to me. I deserve to be treated like this. I stole you, so it's my fault." 

"Hold on a minute. Jay and Mason are mad because they have to share me?" Vivian nodded and Cam shook his head. "They said it's all my fault and they're right. I deserve this. Especially this." Vivian said and held up his arm before grimacing in pain. "Viv, what happened to your arm?" "I fell down the stairs." Cam gave him a look and the child dropped his head in shame. "I was pushed." Cam was in total disbelief, but he knew that Vivian never lied. "So, every time that you had nasty bruises or limps, that was all Jay and Mason?" Cam asked and Vivian nodded. "Why didn't you say anything?" "Because I deserve it." "Vivian, you don't deserve to be treated like this. No one deserves to be treated this way. And they did this to you because I'm also your father?" Vivian nodded but then his eyes widened. "You can't say anything! They made me promise not to tell anyone because they'd get in trouble!" "Vivian, I have to say something. I can't just let you get hurt over this." "But it's my fault." "Vivian Hampton if I hear you say those words one more time, I'll take away your cake privileges." Vivian gulped and nodded.

"You may have influenced the decision of me adopting you, but in the end it was myself and your dad that made it official. If Jay and Mason are upset, they shouldn't be taking it out on you. Now, what happened to your arm? You've been cradling it like it's your stuffed monkey." Vivian didn't answer and turned his face away. "I know what you're thinking, and whatever happened isn't your fault. May I see your arm?" The child slowly presented his arm to the adult and Cam grimaced. "I think your arm is broken, buddy. Did this happen when you were pushed down the stairs?" Vivian didn't say anything, but blinked his eyes once. Cam shook his head before standing up. "Come on. We've got to get you to the doctor's so they can fix your arm." Vivian looked terrified and Cam sighed. "Buddy, I promise you everything will get better. I promised that I would take care of your mother and I did. This is no different. You just need to trust me." Vivian thought for only a second before nodding. 

Vivian hadn't changed in size very much over the past few years. He was still the same malnourished kid, even though he was fed very well. The trauma still lingered with him, which kept him from growing in height and width, so the seven year old was standing just barely over three feet tall. Matt was always concerned about Vivian, but the doctor said he would most likely remain that way. So Cam really wasn't surprised at the size of the child when he picked him up. "There you are! What took you so long?" Toby called out, before her smile fell. "What's wrong?" Matt came over and saw that the toddler had been crying and immediately went into dad mode fussing over the toddler. "I'm almost positive Viv broke his arm. He fell down the stairs and he was afraid we'd be angry with him." Matt shook his head as he fretted over his small son. "Never. It's impossible to be angry with him." Matt said as he gently cradled his son. "We should get him to the doctor's so they can set his break." Cam said and Matt nodded. "You two go on ahead. I'll stay here with Jay and Mason." Toby said and the two adults nodded. "Just hang in there little guy." Toby said she ruffled Vivian's hair. 

Once Cam had pulled out of the driveway, he turned to Matt at the nearest red light. "Vivian didn't fall down those stairs." "You promised not to say anything!" Vivian protested, looking very worried. "I know I promised, but this is serious. You could've died falling down those stairs." Cam said and the child sighed. "Vivian, what is going on?" Matt asked his son. "It's Jay and Mason. They're bullying him." "I wouldn't call it bullying." Vivian said and Cam gave him a look. "Viv, it's bullying. They're harassing you constantly, and that isn't okay." "But I deserve it!" Vivian cried out and Matt shook his head. "Baby, you don't deserve to be bullied. How long have they been bothering you?" Vivian mumbled an answer and both adults were shocked. "Eight months? Vivian, that's an awfully long time to keep this a secret." "I promised I wouldn't tell, especially because I-" "Don't say it. Vivian, you didn't deserve to be treated like this. You are the reason why I adopted you. They might be jealous that I spend more time with you, but that is their choice. They still choose to spend all their time with their mother, which is absolutely okay. But they don't need to take their anger out on you." Cam explained and Vivian weakly nodded.

Cam pulled into the hospital parking lot and the two adults got Vivian inside. "Hello, how may I help you?" A receptionist asked. "Well, I'm positive that my kid's arm is broken." The receptionist looked at the child in Matt's arm and saw his arm. "Oh the poor thing. I'll see what I can do to get you in as soon as possible." "Thank you." Cam said. The three of them sat down in the waiting room, Vivian struggling to keep his attention on one thing at a time. "Are you still going to take away my cake?" Vivian softly asked Cam after about a half hour of waiting. "What? No of course not. I only said that to get you to quit blaming yourself. We'll get you a big slice of cake when we get home. How does that sound?" Vivian nodded and they were finally called back. A nurse did the routine check-ups before sending the doctor in. "Well, what have we here? What happened to you little guy?" The doctor asked, which surprised everyone. "Jake? I thought you worked with adults." Matt said, mystified. "I technically work in a lot of departments." Jake said with a laugh. "I haven't seen you in a couple of months, how's everything been?" Jake asked as he started carefully inspecting Vivian's broken arm. 

"The same as always. And to answer your question, Vivian fell down a staircase." "Oh?" Jake asked, surprised by the answer. "It's a long story." Matt explained and Jake nodded. "Well, looks like we need to get this in a cast." Vivian's eyes widened and he would've started panicking if Cam hadn't rested a hand on his shoulder. "A cast is what is going to be wrapped around your arm to help it heal." The child nodded and less than a half hour later, they were leaving the hospital. Vivian had chosen to get a blue cast, and he was very fascinated with it. "I want to talk to Toby about all this. Jay and Mason can't just keep taking their anger out on Vivian." Cam said and Matt nodded. "How about you take Toby and the boys somewhere to talk, and Vivian and I will eat the rest of the cake." Cam laughed before he disappeared further into the house. Toby, Jay, and Mason were coincidentally all in the living room when Cam came in. Cam cleared his throat and everyone looked up at him. "There's something we need to talk about." "What about Uncle Matt?" Mason asked and Cam shook his head. "This is just between us four. There's a problem that I need to address." 

Cam said as he sat down on the floor with his family. "What's wrong Cam?" Toby asked and Cam sighed. "It's been brought to my attention that Jay and Mason have been picking on Vivian." The two boys immediately denied it and Cam gave them a stern look. "You boys both know being mean to someone isn't the way to handle a problem." "Vivian promised he wouldn't say anything!" Mason protested and Cam shook his head. "I made Vivian tell me everything, because he broke his arm when he was pushed down the basement staircase." Toby gasped, her eyes wide in shock. "He deserved it!" Jay exclaimed and Cam shook his head again. "Boys, you can't resort to bullying, even if you're angry. Hurting Vivian isn't the answer to your problem." "What's their problem?" Toby asked and Cam looked at his kids. "Would you like to answer, or should I?" "Vivian stole our dad! He's our dad, not Vivian's!" 

"Cam loves all three of you. Why are you so upset that Vivian shares your dad?" Toby asked gently. "Because Dad likes him better than us!" Mason cried out and this time Toby shook her head. "Boys, your dad doesn't favor Vivian on purpose. It's just...well, you two don't really want to spend any time with your dad. Almost every day and night your dad offers to do things with you or for you, but you refuse. I understand that you two both want your dad to only give you attention, but you have to realize that if you don't treat him as someone you love and want to spend time with, Vivian is going to get more attention than you." "Why does Vivian always get the attention?" "Yeah! He always gets everyone's attention! Everyone always asks how he is and makes sure he's happy all of the time! No one ever wants to pay attention to us and ask how we are!" Toby and Cam shared a look and they both shook their heads. 

"Well, you see, we need to do that to make sure he's alright. Vivian has had a hard life, and he needs a lot of physical love so that he knows he's safe." "What happened to him that makes him so special?" Toby flinched and shook her head. "You boys are still too young to understand. It's too horrible to tell you while you're still so young. When you're a little older, we'll tell you everything and it will suddenly make sense." "Well how come Dad always spends more time with Vivian instead of us?" "Because you don't want to spend time with him. Vivian is always eager to be with the people he loves, and he really loves being with your dad." "Why doesn't he just go with his own dad?" "Cam is Vivian's dad just the same as Matt. You boys both remember that, and I know you just want attention as well. But being mean to Vivian isn't going to get you any more attention. In fact, that would get you get less attention because we'd all be fussing over Vivian." Toby said and the boys looked guilty. "How can we compromise so we're all happy?" Toby asked and Cam looked at his kids. 

"If you truly want me to start spending my time equally between you two and Vivian, you need to start showing it. Unfortunately I'm not a mind reader, so if you want to spend time with me open your mouth and say something. I don't care how you do it, as long as it's in a calm, respectful manner that doesn't involve hurting anybody." Jay and Mason nodded before Toby caught their attention again. "And what do you need to do to Vivian?" "Apologize." "There's the nice boys I love." "So, is there anything else within reason we can do to make sure you don't feel left out?" Cam asked again and the boys thought for a moment before agreeing they wanted to be sung to sleep again. Toby and Cam were happy to hear that and everyone went into the kitchen to find Matt trying to clean Vivian's frosting covered face off. "Oh c'mon Viv. Just let me get that frosting off your face!" Matt protested before Vivian finally relented. "There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Matt asked and the child saw Jay and Mason come into the room. He yelped and quickly disappeared underneath the table.

"Squirt, they only want to say something to you." Big brown eyes peeked out from under the table and saw that Cam wasn't lying. Vivian hesitantly crawled out from underneath the table and quickly hid behind his dad. Matt smiled as he reached behind him and slowly dragged Vivian out to stand in front of him. Jay and Mason quickly started apologizing to the younger boy and engulfed him in a deep hug. Vivian remained tense until Matt gently nudged him forward. Vivian hugged his friends back and all three adults smiled at each other. "Okay. How about finishing that cake?" Toby asked and all three kids cheered. 

A few weeks later, the McKay's and Hampton's were headed into the kids' elementary school for conferences. Mason and Vivian luckily had the same teacher, but since Jay was a year older, he had a completely different teacher. Matt waited with Mason and Vivian on the playground while Toby and Cam took Jay into his conference. Twenty minutes later, Cam and Toby found Matt pushing the kids on the swings. "Come on you two, it's your turn for conferences." Toby said and the kids groaned. "Oh, you'll be fine. You both do quite well in school and you're good kids, you have nothing to worry about." Matt said as slowly pulled the swings to a halt. The group made their way inside, and were welcomed into the classroom. "Both kids at once?" The teacher, Mr. Walters, asked. The three adults nodded and the teacher nodded before asking them to sit down. "We'll start with young Mr. McKay, if that's alright." Mr. Walters said. Vivian had run off to a corner with Jay to play quietly, and Mason stayed behind. 

"Mason is an excellent student. He pays attention in class, he's helpful to the other students, and he does excellent on his exams." Mr. Walters pushed a small stack of papers towards Toby, who picked them up and leafed through them. Cam did the same as the teacher continued. "However, there is an issue I'd like to take up with you." Mason's parents looked up with confusion and Mr. Walters glanced at Matt. "Anything you want to tell us, you can say in front of Matt. We're family." Toby said and Mr. Walters nodded. "Well, I've noticed over the last couple of months that Mason seems to be picking on another student intentionally." "Oh? Who would that be?" Toby asked, and he looked behind them towards Vivian and Jay. The three parents sighed before Cam sat forward in his chair. "Did you say, months?" Mr. Walters nodded, "For at least half a year." Matt's face dropped in disbelief and Cam shook his head. "Did you do anything to put a stop to it?" "Every time I spoke to Vivian, he told me that Mason was just kidding around. And when I talked to Mason, he would tell me the same thing." The three adults sighed and Mr. Walters looked confused.

"It's good that you tried to stop it, but I'm sorry to say that Mason wasn't kidding." "What do you mean?" Mr. Walters asked, starting to get worried. "It's a very long story, but needless to say, Mason was being mean on purpose. That is taken care of now, as everything was aired out in conversation." Toby explained and the teacher nodded. Mason's conference was done a few minutes later and Jay ran over to Toby. "Mom, we have to get to practice." Toby looked at her watch and gasped. "Yes you do. Take Mason and head for the car. Do you three want me to come back and pick you up, or do you want to walk home?" Toby asked as she stood up from her chair with Mason's papers under her arm. "Walking should be fine. It's quite warm out." Matt said and Toby nodded before leaving. 

"I'm confused. I thought Mr. Hampton was the only parent of Vivian." Mr. Walters said and Cam shook his head. "That's another very long story, but I legally adopted Vivian about three years ago." "So you two...are-?" "No. Cam is just legally Vivian's other parent." Matt explained as Vivian came and sat down with them. "Well, what can I say about Vivian? He's probably the best student I've ever had in my career of teaching. He's very quiet and well reserved, he has excellent manners, he's very polite and respectful towards everyone, and above all, he's very smart." Matt nodded, a smile on his face. "This kid is just outstanding in everything we do. I've never seen anything like it. But he doesn't pride himself in it like he should." Vivian flushed a bright red and shook his head. "It isn't that big a deal." "And he's very modest." Mr. Walters said as he pushed a similar stack of papers towards the two adults. Matt picked it up and his eyes widened at the marks on them. 

"This is amazing! Viv, why didn't you say anything about these?" Matt asked, as he beamed with pride. "I didn't think it would matter." "Of course it matters! Anything you're involved in matters, Viv!" Matt showed the papers to Cam, and the blonde's face broke out in a shocked grin. "You're like a little genius!" Vivian looked at his dad's and Cam's warm smiles and realized that he had done it. He had made his parents proud. He smiled to himself and barely paid attention to the rest of the conference. On the walk home, Vivian climbed onto Cam's shoulders and the grin never left his face once. "What's gotten you so happy go lucky?" Matt asked as they paused at at a crosswalk. Vivian looked down at his dad and just giggled. "Oh, nothing." "You know, this is nice." Cam said hesitantly as they continued walking home. "Oh?" Matt asked, turning to look at his best friend. "This is how a family should be. I haven't felt this...heartfelt since Jay and Mason were toddlers." Matt smiled, and Cam recognized the compassion hidden deep within. 

Cam's smile stretched ear to ear and he flicked Matt's head. "Hey!" Matt protested as he looked up with a grin. "I mean it, Matt. I mean it all platonically of course, but this really feels like a family." "You really mean that?" Matt asked, and Cam nodded. Matt grinned and threw himself against Cam, the taller stumbling back a bit in surprise. Cam returned the hug as he stabilized himself. "That's all I've ever wanted to hear. From anybody." "I'm your family, Matt. And so is Vivian and Toby and Jay and Mason. And that isn't going to change, I promise." Matt smiled and the two parted from the hug and continued home. "You know, I really like this family thing. My whole life, I've hardly had a family. But now that I have one, I feel like I have everything I'll ever need in life." Cam laughed as he threw his arm around Matt's shoulder. "You're like the little brother I've never had." "And you're like the annoying overprotective older brother that I've never had." Cam laughed, Matt joining in soon after. "What's so funny?" Vivian asked in confusion, which made the two adults laugh harder. "You guys are weird." Vivian said and the two adults looked at each other before bursting out into laughter again. 

Around twenty minutes later the three settled in Matt's house, the blonde sinking into the couch after lifting Vivian off of his shoulders. Vivian sat in between his parents as they all started playing a board game. Matt's phone rang throughout the game and he stood up and walked out of earshot before accepting the call. "Hello?" "Hello, is this Mr. Hampton I'm speaking to?" "Yes it is. How can I help you?" Matt asked quietly. "It's been a few years since we last spoke, but I'm the head of your prosecution team in the case against Ms. Clarke." Matt's eyes widened and he choked a little as he spoke. "Yes? Did something happen?" "Well, not officially. Ms. Clarke is attempting to gain partial or primary custody of your son."


	15. Night Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yo, I'm sorry if this seems rushed or too short. I've been running out of time to keep writing as I've been allowed to play summer sports again. I'm doing my best, but this one doesn't have much angst compared to the other ones. From here it's not so much of a roller coaster of angst, but no promises. Thank you to everyone that's made it this far and stuck with this!

Matt's heart caught in his throat and he couldn't breathe. This woman was never going to get out of their life. "Mr. Hampton? Mr. Hampton? Are you still there?" The lawyer's voice broke the silence and Matt took a staggered breath. "I'm still here. I thought she was in prison." "Yes, she was. Ms. Clarke was released from prison a few months ago for good behavior." "No, no, no, no, no. This can't be happening." "Mr. Hampton, Ms. Clarke is not going to get any type of custody of your son. Her record will permanently hold abuse allegations and that she served time for it. We have records of your son's adoption for a second legal parent and/or guardian, and the judge will not let your son get taken back into an abusive household." "What about her family?" "Their records are just the same. The last time we spoke, your son was a moderately healthy child. I'm assuming his situation has gotten better?" "Yes it has. He's still quite small, but he's much healthier and happier." "No one in their right mind would allow your son to be taken away from you." "I'm just going to assume that I'll have to appear in court as well?" "I know that the last thing you'd want is a court case, so my team is doing their best to appease it. There is still a possibility that you have to appear in court, however." Matt nodded as he ran a shaky hand through his hair. "Okay, thank you for letting me know." "We'll keep you updated." The line went dead and Matt took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself down before returning to his living room. 

Matt sat back down and tried to act normal, but once the board game was over he noticed that both Cam and Vivian were staring at him. "What?" Matt asked and the two looked away. Matt worked to push the ordeal out of his head so he could continue on with his life normally. But as his prosecuting team worked to appease the court case, he got the dreaded phone call. He was on his way home from work and was filled in on the details of the case. Matt parked his car in his garage before heading straight over to Cam and Toby's house. He let himself in through the back door to find everyone in the living room playing Mario Kart. Matt cleared his throat, which caused everyone to look at him. "Viv, can you come with me for a minute? There's something we need to talk about." "Do we have to leave?" Vivian asked as he set his controller down and Matt shook his head, "You can come back to your game, but we need to talk first." Matt's voice remained soft and Vivian was immediately alert. His dad's voice only remained soft if he was talking about their traumatic past. Vivian gulped as he followed his dad into the kitchen. Matt knelt down to be close to eye level with his son and sighed. "Viv, something very bad is happening back in Florida." Matt whispered. "What is it?" Vivian asked, starting to get anxious. "Your mother is out of prison, and she wants to apply for custody of you." 

"I thought she couldn't get out of prison!" Vivian cried out and Matt quickly hushed him. "The lawyers won't let it happen, because everyone knows she's a harmful person." Vivian nodded and turned to leave when Matt caught his shoulder. "There's more." Matt said grimly. Vivian's big brown eyes widened in fear and Matt laid a hand on his shoulder. "We have to go to court in America." Matt said softly. Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Vivian immediately started protesting. "NO! NO! I won't go! They promised we'd never see her again!" The game in the living room paused as they heard the child's shouts. "I know they promised, baby, but we have to go. Otherwise she might get custody of you." Tears started streaming down Vivian's face and he tore out of Matt's grasp. Cam and Toby had moved to stand at the living room threshold by the time Vivian came running around the corner. "Don't make me go! Please don't make me go!" Vivian cried as Cam picked him up. Vivian buried his face into Cam's chest for comfort as the man held him. Matt followed soon after with a sad look on his face. "What's going on?" Toby asked as Matt shook his head. "We have to go back to America for a court case against Rachel. She wants to file for custody over Vivian." Toby and Cam gasped and Matt nodded.

"Don't make me go Cam! Please don't make me go!" Vivian pleaded. Cam didn't know what to say, so he just started stroking Vivian's hair to comfort him. "When do you have to leave?" Toby asked. "The court date is next week." "What? That soon?" "The sooner the better. My prosecution team says that nothing is going to happen because of her record of child abuse. Her family is all the same. We just have to appear in court and give a statement against her so she can get put under another restraining order." Cam noticed Vivian was shaking and he softly nudged the kid in his arms. Vivian's watery brown eyes looked up at him and Cam's heart squeezed in his chest. "I'm afraid you'll have to go, buddy." He said softly and Vivian shook his head vigorously. "I don't wanna go! I wanna stay here!" Vivian protested and Matt looked at Cam to start a silent conversation. Cam nodded after a while and he looked back at the child. "What if I came with you and your dad? Would you feel better about going then?" Vivian thought for a minute, but in the end agreed to go if Cam came with. Over the course of a week, Vivian was pestered by Jay, Mason, and some classmates about why he was going to America. They all meant well, but most of them had never traveled out of Victoria before, let alone the country. The day before Vivian was leaving for America, his teacher accidentally outed his trip to the entire class. 

Mr. Walters had questioned the entire class if they were traveling anywhere over the weekend, and a few of Vivian's classmates said they were going to Sydney for an annual festival. Vivian thought he was in the clear before Mason raised his hand. "Vivian's going to America!" The classroom erupted into excited chatter, and even Mr. Walters was surprised. "America? That sounds like fun! Where are you headed?" "Florida." Vivian mumbled. "Florida? Well that sounds even better! How long are you going?" Vivian felt tears well in his eyes at the very mention of the trip. "A week and a half." As everyone was talking about how exciting it was, Vivian asked to go to the bathroom. Mr. Walters knitted his eyebrows together in confusion but nodded. When Toby picked the three kids up from school, she noticed something was off when Vivian didn't utter a word on the ride home. When the car pulled to a stop in the garage, Vivian took off and ran into the house to find Cam. It took Vivian only a moment to locate Cam in his bedroom. Cam heard the child coming and turned around in time to see Vivian standing in the doorway. "Viv? Buddy, what's wrong?" Cam asked as Vivian started heavily breathing. "I don't wanna go." Vivian started crying and Cam swept him up in a hug. "I don't wanna see them again. They were supposed to never bother us again." Vivian whimpered as he wrapped his arms around Cam's neck.

"I know buddy, I know. But this is something you'll have to do to get her away. There's a high possibility that you won't even have to speak. We might just get to sit in the audience and listen to everything." "Really?" Vivian whispered and Cam nodded. "I can't promise it, but there is a chance that you won't have to." Vivian nodded and Cam set the child down on the bed next to his suitcase. "Are you all packed, or do you need some help? I know Matt's hardly been home this past week because of all his meetings with attorneys." "I'm almost done. Dad left me a list." "Why don't you help me finish packing, and then we can go over and see how your packing is coming along." Vivian nodded and helped Cam finish his packing. Ten short minutes later, Cam zipped up his suitcase and set it down by his bedroom door. "Alright, let's go see how you've been doing with your packing." Vivian followed Cam out of the room and across the yard. Cam pulled open the screen door and turned on the lights. Vivian led the way into his room and flicked on the light switch. "This is your bedroom? It looks like you hardly use it, buddy." Cam commented and Vivian's face flushed a deep scarlet. "I have trouble sleeping." Vivian whispered and Cam remembered how staying close to Matt helped the child sleep. Cam nodded and walked over to the suitcase laying open on the bed. "Viv, you hardly have anything packed." Cam said.

"I didn't know how to do it and I didn't want to bother anybody." Cam shook his head with a smile, "Well you're in luck. But next time, just know it's okay to ask for help." Vivian nodded and he handed Cam the list that Matt had made him. "Well, it looks like you got a little ways on the list. Let's work on getting the rest of your clothes." Vivian nodded and the two went over to his closet. "You still have that?" Cam asked as the child pulled out a NASA t-shirt. Vivian nodded with a smile. "I'm surprised it still fits you. Toby and I gave you that shirt almost four years ago." "I haven't exactly grown much." Cam laughed, "You got me there. You still need five other shirts." Vivian nodded and picked out five other space themed shirts before Cam folded them all and tucked them into the suitcase. "Okay, now we need to get pants." When Cam was folding the pants, Vivian was in charge of getting his socks. Cam put every pair of shoes on the list in the suitcase before calling Matt. "Hey Cam! What's up?" Matt asked. "Well, I'm helping Vivian pack his suitcase, and we have all of his clothes packed except for his suit." "Oh! I have his suit hung up in the living room. I picked it up from the renter's earlier and left it out so we wouldn't forget it." "Alright, thank you." "Yep, call me if you need anything else!" Cam packed Vivian's suit before helping Vivian get everything he needed from the bathroom packed. "Alright, Matt has it written on the list that you can put whatever you'd like to occupy yourself with on the plane trip in backpack." Vivian nodded and pulled out the backpack Matt had left for him. 

Vivian put in his quilt, his Jack and the Beanstalk book, and a few other various things that would capture his attention on the trip. "Got everything you need?" Cam asked and Vivian nodded. Vivian shut his bedroom light off as Cam set his suitcase next to Matt's at the front door. "Okay buddy. Let's go back next door and see about dinner." Vivian nodded and followed Cam back next door. The next morning, Vivian, Matt, and Cam were saying goodbye to Toby, Jay, and Mason. The three were leaving in Matt's car, and as Matt was packing their suitcases in his trunk Cam noticed that Vivian seemed a little hesitant to leave. Cam walked over to the child and bent down, already knowing what was up. "Go ahead and go get your monkey. It's perfectly alright, no one is going to yell at you, I promise. And if they do, your dad and I will certainly teach them a lesson." He whispered. Vivian looked up at him and cocked his head to the side. "Really?" Cam smiled and nodded. Vivian quickly took off and came back with his stuffed monkey clutched in his arms. Cam noticed that he already seemed more relaxed and he helped the child get buckled into his booster seat. "Okay, do we have everything?" Matt asked as he made a mental checklist. "We have Vivian and his monkey, three suitcases, three passports, three airplane tickets, hotel reservations, and a rental car reservation. Am I missing anything?" Matt asked Cam, who shook his head. "And Toby has her spare key if she needs anything." Cam said as Matt climbed into the driver's seat. "Alright. And we're off. Do you have your backpack, Viv?" Matt asked and Vivian nodded as they started for the airport. 

It was a short drive to the airport and Matt parked his car in long term parking. Matt locked his car after the suitcases were out and the three of them made their way through airport security. The three of them met up with the prosecution team, as they were all seated in the same rows. Vivian hadn't been on an airplane in multiple years, so he was given the window seat. Cam sat in the middle seat so Matt could talk to his prosecution team who were seated directly across the aisle from them. "How long a ride is it?" Vivian asked right after the plane lifted into the air. "Well, it's going to be about fourteen hours to Los Angeles. Do you know where that is?" Cam asked and Vivian nodded. "California." "Right. Our flight will have something called a layover, where we have to wait for our connecting flight to Miami." "How long will that take?" "About five or six hours." "So, about twenty hours?" Vivian asked and Cam nodded. "When our plane lands in Los Angeles, it will be about four a.m. Then our layover is an hour and a half. So by five thirty a.m. we'll be flying to Florida. Then once we land in Miami, it will be about noon or one o'clock. Then we'll get to check into our hotel and relax for a while." Vivian nodded, content with the information. A few hours into the flight, Vivian fell asleep listening to his parents talk about adult things he didn't have an interest in. He jolted awake hours later from a nightmare to a darkened plane and he saw that everyone around him was asleep. 

Vivian looked around for his monkey, but started to panic when he couldn't find it. "Vivy, come here." Matt's soft voice broke the silence of the plane. Vivian turned to see his dad hadn't gone to sleep and Vivian slipped out of his plane seat to climb into Matt's opened arms. "You miss Melbourne?" Matt quietly asked and Vivian nodded. "I don't like them." "I know, baby. I don't like them either. But I don't want them to take you away." "Me either. I love being with you and Cam and Melbourne. Miami is a bad place." "You have a better life now, and I want you to continue being happy. I'm not going to let anyone take you away." Vivian smiled and Matt handed Vivian his monkey. "You dropped it while you were sleeping. Why don't you go back to sleep? I'll be right here in case you have another nightmare." Matt said and Vivian vaguely nodded as he curled up against Matt's chest with his monkey. Matt ran his fingers through Vivian's dark hair until the child fell asleep and he released a sigh as he held his son closer. Vivian was still asleep when the plane landed hours later in Los Angeles. Matt had to shake Cam awake when everyone was leaving the plane. "C'mon, Cam. We're in LA." Matt said quietly as he had a sleeping Vivian rested on his hip. Cam quickly snapped up and gathered Vivian's backpack and his phone. They made their way off the plane to airport security. They got their suitcases and Cam took Vivian's, as the child was curled up against Matt fast asleep. The three of them and the prosecution team all found a nice cafe to eat, and sat down to wait for their connecting flight. "How long has he been asleep?" Cam asked as he sat down across from Matt. "Oh, I'd say about eight or nine hours. He woke up on the plane from a nightmare and I helped him fall back asleep." "Aren't you tired?" Cam asked as he yawned and Matt shook his head. 

"I'm exhausted, but not tired. I'm too worried about this court case to sleep. There's so much to worry about, I just can't sleep." "Why don't you sleep on on the Miami flight and I'll stay awake to watch over Vivian." "Thanks Cam, but I don't think I can sleep. I'm just too jittery about this situation." "I'll get you something to help with that. You'll need to be well rested." Matt sighed but nodded. Cam disappeared for about twenty minutes before coming back with a bottle of purple Gatorade, which he had put some liquid Melatonin in. "Here. Drink this and it should help you get to sleep by the time we're on the plane." Matt looked at it suspiciously, but he knew nothing harmful was in it. About an hour later, everyone in their little group was boarding their flight to Miami. Once everyone was seated in the same positions as their previous flight, Matt noticed himself starting to nod off. Cam smiled and gently shifted Vivian out of Matt's grasp and into his. Matt fell asleep as soon as the plane took off, and Cam made sure to pull a blanket over him. Vivian was still fast asleep with his monkey in his arms. When the pilot announced they were now landing in Miami in five minutes, the child snapped awake trembling. "She's here." Was all Vivian whispered before burying himself in Cam's unzipped sweatshirt.


	16. What A Feeling

Cam was confused, but he didn't dare question it when he noticed how tense Matt was. As the three of them were exiting the plane, Matt reached out and yanked Cam aside in the jet walk. "She's out there. Both Viv and I can sense it, and she's out to get custody of Vivian. Do you remember that day in the hospital four years ago when they first showed up?" Matt asked and Cam nodded as his grip tightened around the child balanced on his hip. "Do the same thing you did that time. Don't let them, and especially her, get their hands on Vivian. One innocent little handshake or touch and he's gone forever." Cam nodded and Matt placed Vivian's monkey in his backpack. "Just keep everything secure and we'll be fine until we get out of here." Matt said as the three of them followed the prosecution team out of the jet walk. True to his word, Matt's ex-wife and her family were waiting in the terminal close by the luggage return. Vivian whimpered as he hid in Cam's sweatshirt again, and the man could feel the small child shaking. "We need to get out of here." Cam whispered and Matt nodded. The two adults stayed together as they went to pick up their rental car reservation. They managed to slip away unnoticed as the prosecution team was busy distracting Matt's ex-family by asking for directions to the nearest bus stop.

Once the three of them had gotten away from the airport, the team of lawyers climbed into their rental car as well, and started driving to the same hotel Matt, Cam, and Vivian were staying in. Everyone checked into their rooms, but Matt sent Cam and Vivian ahead to their room. "May I ask of a favor? Hear me out before you say no." The hotel manager nodded his head and Matt sighed. "Would you please, promise me you won't let anyone know my room number or allow anyone except for my family staying with me into that room. We have this issue with a former acquaintance and I’d rather not have them bother us here.” “Is this a matter of safety, Mr. Hampton?” The hotel manager asked and Matt nodded his head. The manager nodded, seeing the truth in Matt’s eyes. “Alright, sir. We’ll be happy to keep your stay here disclosed.” Matt let loose a sigh of relief and thanked them before going up to his room. Matt locked the door behind him and sank into a nearby chair. He leaned forward so his head was almost between his knees and grasped at his temples with one hand. Matt was aware of two pairs of eye’s locked on him, but he just couldn’t bring himself to look up. “I just want this all to be over with.” Matt whispered, his voice cracked and broken. Cam stood up and crossed the room to lay a comforting hand on his best friend’s shoulder.

“Tomorrow is a long ways away, but I’ll get you through this.” Matt shook his head and looked up at Cam with tears threatening to spill down his face. “You’re just saying that.” This time it was Vivian who spoke up. “Cam isn’t just saying that, Dad. He promised to get rid of Mother the first time and make everything better when I broke my arm. And he kept his promise, so he can’t be lying this time.” Cam grinned, but Matt still looked skeptical. “I think I just need to sleep. If anyone from the prosecution team comes looking for me, wake me up right away. I want everything running smoothly so we can be out of here as soon as possible.” Cam nodded before watching his best friend tumble into bed. Cam dimmed the lights and shut the door to the sectioned off sleeping area. “How about we watch TV while we wait for dinnertime?” Cam suggested and Vivian eagerly nodded as he snatched his stuffed monkey from his backpack. Around seven at night, the city was slowly settling into darkness. The prosecution team came to get them for dinner with some more of the lawyers that would be appearing with them in court. Vivian was extremely bored with the lawyer talk and was more focused on the fact that these people would be deciding his fate. He didn’t want to stay in Miami anymore. He hated it there, and just wished he could be at home. Besides, Vivian loved his parents, not this woman that claimed to be his mother.

So that night, everyone was quiet. It was a depressing time as no one could get their mind off of the trial. Before they settled down for the night, Vivian was still worried that he wouldn’t get to see Melbourne or his parents ever again. Matt was half asleep when he noticed that Vivian was sitting up, wide awake. “Viv? Why don’t you try and sleep. We have a big day tomorrow.” Vivian bit his lip before answering. “I don’t wanna go to sleep.” “Viv, baby, what’s bothering you?” Matt asked, pushing himself up to sit vertically. “I’m scared that I won’t get to see Melbourne ever again.” Tears started rushing down Vivian’s face as he started babbling how much he loved his parents and Melbourne. Matt pulled his son into a hug and started stroking his dark hair. “Vivian, I promise you, no one is going to take you away from us. All those people with us at dinner, want her to go to prison forever. They hate what she’s done to you, and to me, and they aren’t going to let her or her family see you ever again.” “Promise?” Vivian asked, his voice breaking. Matt nodded but he could still read the fear in his son’s eyes. “What can we do to help you feel safe tonight?” Matt asked and Vivian thought for a moment. “Can Cam sleep with us?” He softly asked. “Only if he’s alright with that.” “Anything to help you feel safe, buddy.” Cam said. So that night, Vivian fell asleep in between the two people that he loved the most. However, the next morning, those safe and happy feelings disappeared when they were leaving for the courthouse.

They were all aware of how the trial would play out, and Vivian was told he wouldn’t be called to the stand. That was until the three of them arrived in court and found out that most of the prosecution team from Miami had been replaced with a new team who wanted the child to testify. No one was aware of that little fact until it actually happened. Vivian was standing in between his parents, anxiously letting his eyes wander the empty courtroom. The child noticed the gigantic seat the judge would eventually sit in, and his eyes widened in awe. He hesitantly walked over to the stand and struggled to pull himself up. Vivian had been sitting in the chair for a few minutes when a woman’s voice interrupted the silence. “Well, hello there young man.” Vivian jumped and turned his head to look up at the voice. The woman standing above him didn’t seem to be angry, but rather curious. “I’m sorry.” Her eyebrows furrowed together and bent down to be level with the child. “There’s no need to apologize. You haven’t done anything wrong. My name is Melissa.” She said and slowly outstretched her palm. Vivian stared it for a moment before hesitantly shaking her hand. Melissa smiled at him and tilted her head to the side. “What’s your name?” “I’m Vivian.” “Vivian. That’s a unique name. It makes you sound like royalty.” Vivian blushed and shook his head. “Oh I wouldn’t say that.”

“Well Vivian, what are you doing here? Are you lost?” Melissa asked gently and Vivian shook his head. “I’m not lost. I’m here with my parents. I wish I wasn’t though.” “Oh? Why is that? Don’t you like Miami?” Melissa asked and Vivian’s smile drooped. “No. I hate it here. I used to live here when my dad was married to my mother. She was a mean woman and my dad took me away to be safe. My home is in Australia, where I have friends and a cool Aunt who can toss a pizza dough without getting it stuck to the ceiling.” Melissa chuckled and continued to listen to the child. “So many bad things happened here. I wish I could be back home.” “Can you tell me what made your mother so bad?” Vivian bit his lip and cautiously looked around. “Promise not to tell anyone?” “I promise.” “She used to hit me and my dad. She didn’t feed me a lot either. I’m seven years old and my parents always talk about how I shouldn’t be this small and that it’s all her fault.” Melissa nodded, knowing exactly what the child was referring to. See, Melissa was the judge for the trial, but Vivian obviously didn’t know that.

“If your dad isn’t married to your mother anymore, who is your other parent?” Melissa asked, having already known the answer. “His name is Cam. He became my other dad and parent when I was three.” The only reason why she decided to talk to the child before the trial was to get the truth without anyone interfering. A few minutes later, Cam appeared and saw Vivian talking to Melissa. “There you are Viv! We have to get seated, buddy. The trial is going to start soon.” The child nodded and climbed off the chair. “It was nice to meet you.” Vivian said and Melissa smiled. “It was a pleasure to meet you as well.” The child waved goodbye to her as he grabbed Cam’s hand to follow him to their seats right behind Matt and the prosecution team. Ten minutes later, the trial had begun and Vivian nervously looked around until he spotted his mother and her family. He tensed up and scooted a little closer to Cam. Vivian didn’t pay much attention to the trial until it was his dad’s turn to testify. Something seemed off with the prosecution team, until they started playing a video from almost four years earlier. Vivian recognized his screams from the video, and his eyes shot open. He looked up at Cam, who looked equally as horrified. Vivian could feel himself panicking and quickly climbed onto Cam’s lap, the man throwing his arms around the child. Matt turned around to look at them, and he was also horrified.

At that time, Vivian’s eyes were drawn to the judge’s stand and realized that Melissa was the judge for the trial. Melissa could see the pure terror in the child’s face and after a minute longer of the video, she demanded it to be shut off. “I’ve seen enough.” Then the trial took a turn for the worse. “Your honor, we’d like to bring Vivian Hampton to the stand.” Vivian felt Cam’s arms pull him closer as Matt started internally panicking. “What are you doing? The kid’s practically terrified out of his mind already, you’re just making it worse!” Mr. Jackson, the head of Matt’s Melbourne prosecution team, hissed. The Miami prosecution members just shrugged their shoulders. “Sir? Please bring the child to the stand.” A security guard sternly said to Cam. Cam had no choice but to obey, and slowly stood up, taking Vivian to the stand. “Shh, you’ll be fine Viv. Your dad and I are right here. All you have to do is answer a few questions as best as you can. Just like being in school.” Cam whispered to soothe the panicked child’s nerves. Vivian didn’t want to let go of Cam, but Melissa told him that he wasn’t in any sort of trouble and that he only needed to tell the truth. Vivian reluctantly sat down, and security allowed Cam to stand a few feet away. “Alright Mr. Hampton, we just need you to tell us a bit about the abuse you received.” Vivian flinched but slowly nodded.

“First question. How long were you abused by your mother.” “At least a year. Closer to a year and half.” Vivian answered quietly. “And, how did you escape the situation?” “My dad packed all of our things and moved us to Melbourne.” “And when was the last time you were physically harmed by your parents?” Vivian was taken aback and he frowned. “My parents don’t hurt me.” “But what about your mother?” “She’s not my parent.” “What about your current parent status?” Vivian was confused and he cocked his head to the side. “Who are your parents then, if your mother isn’t one of them?” “My dad obviously, and around four years ago I was adopted by my other dad.” “And are your parents physically involved with one another?” “No. They’re best friends.” Vivian said. “And how often is your other dad in your life?” “Everyday. He lives next door and he takes me to school every morning.” “And how often do you believe you get tormented by your past?” Vivian didn’t respond and he met eyes with Rachel, who glared at him. Vivian curled up in his chair and whispered, “Almost everyday. I just want to be normal, but I can’t. I live in fear that she’ll come back and get me and take me away from the only family I know.” Vivian was asked a few more questions before he was released from questioning.

Cam immediately swept Vivian up in a tight embrace, the child wrapping his arms around the man's neck for comfort. Vivian didn’t move until the judge slammed her gavel down announcing a break for the Jury to discuss and make their decision. Matt moved to stand with Cam and Vivian, the child hugging his arms around Matt’s neck. “What do you think they’ll say?” Cam asked softly and Matt shrugged. “Hopefully...they’ll say those words that will make us all relieved. I don’t know why anyone in their right mind would allow her to get any custody of him whatsoever.” Cam nodded in agreement before stiffening up. “What? Cam, what’s-” Cam pulled Matt back behind him, acting like a shield to hide Vivian from his mother. “What do you want?” Cam hissed and Rachel shrugged. “I just came to say hello. Is there anything wrong with that?” She cooed innocently. “Of course there is! You are the root of all evil in Vivian and Matt’s lives and you still have the audacity to think about gaining custody of the child you abused!” Cam hissed and at that time security was approaching to make sure nothing physical started. “We all know what you’ve done and you’ve made this kid’s life miserable! You have never been involved in his life and you never will want anything to do with him!” “And how do you know?” Rachel asked.

“Because I was the one there for both of them in the hardest times possible. I was there when Matt was hospitalized. I was there when you showed up in the hospital and started tormenting Matt! I was there when CPS was called and had to investigate Matt and myself, and run those tests that still leave Vivian with nightmares! I was there when Matt decided to disown you as Vivian’s parent for one that could actually support the kid! I was there when Vivian first started school and was absolutely terrified of the other kids, because of what you did to him! I was there for all of Vivian’s nightmares and PTSD attacks, because of YOU!” Cam shouted and Rachel just shrugged her shoulders. “I’m still going to get custody of him. And then neither of you will see your precious little boy ever again.” She cackled maliciously before strutting back over to the defensive attorney side again. Cam couldn’t begin to understand how angry he was, but he kept his jaw wired shut to avoid getting anyone into trouble. Melissa banged her gavel again, signalling the trial was going to continue on. 

Matt, Cam, and Vivian’s hearts got caught in their throats as they all shuffled back to their seats. “The Jury have made a decision about the custody of Vivian Hampton.” Melissa said. “In the case of Vivian Hampton, his birth mother will be placed under a restraining order and given absolutely no contact with her son.” Matt almost burst out crying in relief, and struggled to keep his emotions in control. “As for young Mr. Hampton’s parental situation, his birth father and his adoptive father will continue to have full custody over him. These terms are non nonnegotiable.” Melissa banged her gavel and Matt stood up with tears in his eyes. He ran over to Cam and the two immediately pulled each other into the tightest hug they ever had. As tears started running down Matt’s face, Cam cradled his best friend’s head against his chest. “It’s alright. We’ve still got our little boy. He’s still ours, and she won’t be able to get him any longer.”


End file.
